BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


THE  MAKING  OF 
A  "MORMON" 


By 
WILLIAM  A.  MORTON 

Second  Edition 


THE  DESERET  NEWS 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

1919 


THE  MAKING  OF 
A  "MORMON" 


By 
WILLIAM  A.  MORTON 

Second  Edition 


THE  DESERET  NEWS 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

1919 


COPYRIGHT  1915 

BY 

WILLIAM  A.  MORTON 
Second  (revised)  Edition 


The  Making  of  a  "Mormon/HP 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  MEETING  IN  THE  MARKET  PLACE. 

It  was  a  Saturday  afternoon  in  August.  Two  young 
missionaries,  Elders  Smith  and  Harding,  ,sat  in  the  study- 
room  of  their  lodge  reading  the  letters  they  had  penned 
to  their  parents  and  sweethearts,  whom  they  had  left  in  the 
fair  vales  of  Utah  a  little  over  a  year  before.  Opening  his 
journal,  Elder  Smith  took  from  between  the  leaves  a  tiny 
flower,  a  sweet  Forget-me-not,  which  he  had  found  by  the 
wayside,  and  placed  it  in  one  of  the  letters.  Then  he 
walked  over  to-  the  window  and  stood  for  a  short  time 
watching  the  crowds  of  humanity  passing  to  and  fro. 

The  little  cuckoo  clock  announcing  the  hour  of  five 
turned  his  thoughts  back  into  the  room.  He  went  to 
the  table,  and  taking  from  the  drawer  a  small  bundle  of 
tracts  began  stamping  them  with  the  name  of  the  hall  in 
which  the  Saints  held  their  meetings  and  the  time  of 
devotional  .service.  He  little  dreamed  at  that  time  of  the 
wonderful  mission  which  one  of  those  simple  leaflets  would 
perform. 

"Have  you  thought  of  a  place  at  which  to  hold  our 
meeting  this  evening?"  asked  his  companion. 

"No,"  he  replied ;  "we  will  seek  the  guidance  of  the 
Lord  in  that  matter."  And  then  he  began  to  sing  in  a  soft, 
.sweet,  clear  voice : 

"I'll  go  where  you  want  me  to  go,  dear  Lord; 

Over  mountain,  or  plain,  or  sea: 
I'll  say  what  you  want  me  to  say,  dear  Lord; 
I'll  be  what  you  want  me  to  be." 

A  few  minutes  later  Mrs.  Thompson,  the  kind, 
motherly  landlady,  entered  the  room,  carrying  a  tray  on 
which  was  spread  the  missionaries'  evening  meal.  With 


4  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

thankful  hearts  the  elders  partook  of  the  humble  fare,  and 
when  the  table  was  cleared  they  knelt  down  and  invoked 
the  blessing  of  the  Lord  upon  the  labors  they  were  going 
to  perform  that  evening.  Then,  donning  their  silk  hats 
and  frock  coats,  they  went  forth  to  proclaim  the  glorious 
principles  of  the  everlasting  Gospel. 

On  reaching  the  street,  Elder  Smith  turned  to  his  com- 
panion and  said,  "I  feel  a  little  nervous  this  evening.  I 
have  a  premonition  that  we  are  going  to  encounter  op- 
position." 

"As  if  that  were  a  strange  thing.  But  why  should 
we  fear  ?  Greater  is  He  that  is  for  us  than  he  that  is  against 
us.  Have  you  decided  where  to  hold  the  meeting?"  asked 
Elder  Harding. 

"I  feel  impressed  to  go  to  the  market  place,"  was  the 
reply,  and  in  that  direction  the  young  men  turned  their 
steps. 

It  was  a  beautiful  evening.  The  streets  were  filled  with 
people,  dressed  in  their  best  attire.  There  were  young 
men  and  maidens  strolling  leisurely  along,  arm  in  arm,  all 
apparently  light-hearted  and  happy.  It  was  at  this  mo- 
ment that  the  thoughts  of  Elder  Smith  flew  back  to  home  and 
the  dear  ones  there.  He  thought  of  the  pleasant  Saturday 
afternoons  he  had  spent  with  his  companions  on  the  base- 
ball and  football  fields,  and  of  the  still  more  pleasant  even- 
ings he  had  spent  in  the  company  of  one  of  the  fair  daugh- 
ters of  Zion,  the  one  to  whom  he  had  sent  the  little  flower, 
a  dark-brown  eyed,  rosy-cheeked  maiden,  Miss  Lenabel 
Graham. 

On  reaching  the  market  place  the  elders  opened  their 
hymn  books  and  began  to  sing : 

"In  ancient  times  a  man  of  God 

Came  preaching  in  the  wilderness; 
He  did  baptize  in  Jordan's  flood, 
Requiring  fruits  of  righteousness. 

"He  said,  Repent,  the  time's  fulfilled, 
The  Son  of  God  will  soon  appear; 
Make  straight  His  paths  as  He  hath  willed', 
For  lo!  His  kingdom  now  is  near. 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  5 

"With  water  I  baptize  you  now 
For  the  remission  of  your  sin; 
But  He,  the  Spirit  shall  bestow, 
To  witness  to  your  souls  within. 

"Thus  was  Messiah's  way  prepared, 

When  first  He  came  unto  His  own; 
And  by  this  means,  when  He  appeared, 
To  His  disciples  He  was  known. 

"E'en  so,  in  this,  the  latter  day, 

Before  He  comes  on  earth  to  reign, 
His  servants  must  prepare  His  way, 
And  all  His  paths  make  straight  again. 

"Come,  then,  ye  erring  ones  who  stray, 

Arise,  return  unto  your  fold: 
Come,  be  baptized  without  delay, 
And  thus  pursue  the  path  of  old." 

The  hymn  was  new  to  the  people,  and  many  stopped 
to  listen.  Prayer  was  offered  by  Elder  Smith,  and  after 
another  hymn  had  been  sung,  Elder  Harding  stepped  for- 
ward and  began  to  address  the  audience.  He  discoursed 
on  the  first  principles  and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel — faith 
in  God,  and  in  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  repentance,  baptism 
by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  the  laying  on 
of  hands  for  the  imparting  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  quoted 
much  Scripture  in  support  of  the  doctrine,  and  was  pleased 
to  see  a  number  of  people  in  the  crowd  nod  their  heads  in 
approval  of  what  he  said. 

He  was  followed  by  Elder  Smith,  who  bore  testimony 
to  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  advocated  by  his  companion. 
Elder  Smith  then  spoke  on  Divine  authority,  proving  by 
the  Scriptures  that  it  is  necessary  for  a  man  to  possess' 
authority  from  God,  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  administer  in 
the  ordinances  thereof.  He  cited  instances  in  holy  writ 
showing  how  certain  men  had  incurred  the  displeasure  of 
the  Almighty  by  usurping  authority  and  presuming  to 
officiate  in  sacred  ordinances  without  having  first  received 
the  appointment  of  Heaven. 

He  next  told  of  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, the  restoration  of  the  Priesthood,  and  the  re-establish- 
ing of  the  true  Church  of  Christ  on  the  earth  in  this  dis- 


6  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

pjensation,    through    the      instrumentality    of    the    Prophet 
Joseph  Smith. 

As  soon  as  he  had  ceased  speaking,  a  man,  pale  and 
agitated,  stepped  forward,  and  was  about  to  address  the 
people  when  Elder  Smith  respectfully  requested  him  to  re- 
frain from  speaking  until  the  service  had  been  brought  to 
a  close  in  the  proper  manner — by  the  singing  of  a  hymn  and 
the  .pronouncing  of  the  benediction. 

The  man,  who  was  a  local  preacher,  stepped  back  to 
his  place.  The  word  "Amen"  had  barely  escaped  the  lips 
of  Elder  Harding  when  the  voice  of  the  local  preacher  was 
heard  denouncing  the  testimony  of  Elder  Smith  with  re- 
spect to  the  latter-day  Prophet. 

Just  then  a  large,  well-built  man,  pushed  his  way 
through  the  crowd,  and  going  up  to  Elder  Smith,  put  his 
hand  on  his  shoulder  and  said,  "Don't  be  afraid,  young 
fellow,  Fll  see  that  you  get  fair  play." 

The  crowd  gathered  closer  about  the  missionaries  and 
their  opponent.  Pointing  to  Elder  Smith,  the  preacher 
said,  'This  fellow  has  stood  here  this  evening  and  told  a 
number  of  as  diabolical  falsehoods  as  ever  came  out  of  the 
mouth  of  mortal  man.  One  of  them  is  that  God  the  Father 
and  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith." 

At  this  point  a  humorist  interrupted  the  speaker  by 
saying,  "Well,  couldn't  they  appear  to  Joseph  Smith  if  they 
wanted  to  ?" 

This  brought  forth  a  hearty  laugh  from  the  crowd, 
much  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  anti-Mormon.  The  latter 
proceeded :  "The  next  falsehood  he  uttered  was  when  he 
told  us  about  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  he  says  is  a 
record  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  America,  and  which 
he  informed  us  was  brought  to  light  by  the  ministrations  of 
an  angel  and  translated  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God.  But 
where  are  the  plates  from  which  this  record  was  translated  ? 
Can  they  be  seen  today?  No,  they  can  not.  Smith's  ,story 
is  that  after  he  had  finished  the  work  of  translating,  the 
angel  took  charge  of  the  plates,  and  they  have  not  been 
seen  since." 

"Well,"  said  the  humorist,  "that's  not  a  strange  thing. 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  7 

Christ   went  to  heaven  over  eighteen  hundred  years  ago, 
and  He  hasn't  been  seen  since." 

The  crowd  laughed  louder  than  before. 

The  preacher  continued:  "One  of  the  best  things  for 
'Mormonism,'  but  one  of  the  worst  for  Christianity,  was 
the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  Smith.  Smith  was  murdered  in 
Carthage  jail." 

"And  Jesus  Christ  was  crucified  on  Calvary,"  retorted 
the  wit. 

The  missionaries'  opponent  then  turned  his  attention  to 
water  baptism.  "This  -disciple  of  Brigham  Young,"  he  said, 
pointing  to  Elder  Harding,  "has  told  us  that  if  we  are  not 
baptized  in  water  for  the  remission  of  our  sins,  and  that, 
too,  by  a  'Mormon'  holding  priestly  authority,  we  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  That  is  another  falsehood, 
for  I  know  hundreds  of  good  men  who  -died  without  having 
received  this  baptism,  and  they  are  in  the  kingdom  of  God 
today." 

He^  stopped  speaking.  Elder  Smith  turned  to  him  and 
asked,  "Do  you  desire  to  say  anything  more?" 

"Not  at  present,"  was  the  answer. 

The  young  missionary  then  began  to  ,speak  in  defense 
of  himself  and  his  companion.  He  told  of  his  leaving  home, 
of  the  trial  it  was  to  him  to  separate  himself  from  his  loved 
ones^;  of  the  splendid  situation  he  had  sacrificed;  of  his 
year's  labors  as  a  missionary,  for  which  he  had  not  received 
so  much  as  a  farthing.  "Do  you  think,  my  friends,"  he 
asked,  "that  I  would  make  all  these  sacrifices  just  for  the 
privilege  of  coming  here  to  tell  you  falsehoods?  No, 
the  thought  is  too  absurd  for  you  to  entertain.  You  may  not 
believe  the  things  I  have  told  you,  but  you  must  at  least  give 
me  credit  for  being  sincere  in  my  belief  of  them.  My  op- 
ponent," he  continued,  "has  been  endeavoring  to  make  you 
believe  that  my  companion  taught  you  false  doctrine  when 
he  said  that  a  man  had  to  be  baptized  in  water  before  he 
could  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  My  friends,  that  is 
not  pur  doctrine.  It  is  the  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
He  is  responsible  for  it.  Permit  me  to  read  to  you  His 
words,  spoken  to  Nicodemus." 


8  .  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

Elder  Smith  opened  his  Bible,  and  turning  to  the  third 
chapter  of  John's  Gospel  read  as  follows:  "Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the 
Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  "This  is 
the  doctrine  of  Christ ;  but  my  opponent  says  that  a  man  has 
no  need  of  water  baptism.  Which  of  the  two  do  you  be- 
lieve?" 

"Well  done,  young  fellow,"  cried  a  voice  from  the 
crowd.  "You  caught  him  that  time.  Why,  the  preacher 
doesn't  believe  his  Bible." 

Continuing,  the  missionary  said,  "My  friend  here  has 
told  you  that  there  has  been  no  revelation  from  heaven 
since  the  days  of  the  Apostles ;  that  the  Bible  contains  the 
last  revelation  of  God  to  man.  Yet  in  the  same  breath  he 
told  you  of  hundreds  of  good  men  he  knew  who  have  died 
and  who  are  in  the  kingdom  of  God  today  without  having 
been  baptized.  I  am  ,sure  you  would  all  like  to  know  how 
the  gentleman  got  his  information,  if  there  has  been  no 
latter-day  revelation.  Would  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell 
us,  sir?" 

For  an  answer  the  man  turned  and  made  his  way 
quickly  out  of  the  crowd. 

The  missionaries  began  to  distribute  Gospel  tfracts 
among  the  people.  One  of  the  leaflets  fell  into  the  hands 
of  a  young  man  named  Norman  Drew,  the  son  of  a  well- 
to-do  farmer,  residing  about  two  miles  from  the  city,  and 
the  mission  it  performed  will  be  told  in  succeeding  chapters. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A   GOSPEL  TRACT  ON    ITS    MISSION. 

The  Drew  family  consisted  of.  four  members — Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Drew,  their  daughter  Jessie,  and  their  son  Norman. 
Jessie  had  just  celebrated  her  twenty-third  birthday,  and 
Norman  was  fast  approaching  his  twenty-first.  They  were 
thrifty,  industrious  people,  and  held  in  high  esteem  in  the 
community.  They  were  staunch  Presbyterians,  especially 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  9 

the  father,  who  held  the  office  of  deacon  and  was  a  strong 
supporter  to  the  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drew  and  their  daughter  were  sitting  in 
the  cosy  parlor  of  their  home.  Mr.  Drew  was  scanning  the 
pages  of  the  weekly  newspaper,  his  good  wife  sat  dozing  in 
a  large  rocker,  while  Jessie  was  finishing  work  on  her  Sun- 
day School  lesson. 

The  door  opened  and  Norman  entered.  Drawing  a 
chair  up  to  the  table,  he  sat  down,  and  taking  the  "Mormon" 
tract  from  his  pocket,  began  to  tell  of  what  he  had  heard  at 
the  meeting  in  the  market  place.  When  he  had  finished, 
his  father  shook  his  head,  saying,  'Those  wicked  people !  I 
have  heard  of  so  much  evil  they  have  done  that  it  is  sur- 
prising they  have  not  been  expelled  from  the  country." 

"Well,  father,"  said  Norman,  "if  all  who  do  wickedly 
were  expelled  from  the  country  there  would  be  few  men 
left." 

To  this  remark  Mr.  Drew  made  no  answer,  but  rising, 
he  bade  his  son  and  daughter  good  night,  and  left  the  room. 

Mrs.  Drew  sat  a  few  minutes  longer.  "I  remember 
when  I  was  a  girl,"  she  said,  aone  of  our  neighbor's 
daughters,  about  the  same  age  as  myself,  joined  the  'Mor- 
mon' Church  and  the  following  year  went  to  Utah.  She 
wrote  to  us  occasionally,  but  never  expressed  the  least 
regret  over  what  she  had  done.  About  two  years  later  she 
sent  for  her  mother  and  sister,  which  seemed  to  give  con- 
firmation to  the  good  reports  she  sent  us  concerning  Utah 
and  the  'Mormons/  ! 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  the  'Mormons,'  "  said 
Norman,  "but  even  if  they  are  as  bad  as  they  are  reported 
to  be,  they  are  no  worse  than  some  we  know." 

Mrs.  Drew  arose  and  kissed  her  ,son  and  daughter 
good  night. 

Norman  picked  up  the  newspaper  his  father  had  laid 
down,  and  Jessie,  closing  her  books,  began  to  read  the 
"Mormon"  tract  her  brother  had,  at  her  request,  handed 
to  her. 

For  fully  an  hour  after  her  brother  had  left  the  room 
Jessie  sat  meditating  upon  the  doctrine  set  forth  in  the 


10  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

leaflet,  and  as  she  arose  to  go  to  her  bedroom  the  words 
of  the  Apostle  Paul  flashed  across  her  mind,  "Prove  all 
things ;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good." 

Several  times  the  next  week,  Jessie  took  up^  the  "Mor- 
mon" tract  her  brother  had  brought  home  and  carefully  pe-. 
rusecl  its  .pages.  A  certain  part  of  it  had  deeply  impressed 
;her.  It  was  the  doctrine  of  the  pre-existence  of  spirits.  This 
was  a  new  thought  to  her ;  she  had  never  heard  anyone  speak 
on  the  subject.  Sitting  down  one  afternoon  beside  her 
mother,  she  read  from  the  leaflet,  as  follows : 

"In  the  heavens  are  parents  single? 

No,  the  thought  makes  reason  stare; 
Truth  is  reason,  truth  eternal, 
Tells  me  I've  a  mother  there." 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  that,  mother?"  she  asked. 

Mrs.  Drew  shook  her  head.  "I  am  sorry,  my  daughter," 
she  said,  "that  I  cannot  enlighten  you.  I  have  no  key  with 
which  to  unlock  such  a  mystery."  Then  pausing  a  moment 
in  her  sewing,  she  looked  into  the  sweet,  pure,  face  of  her 
daughter,  and  said,  "Jessie,  there  are  many  things  which  we 
do  not  understand-  now,  but  'God  is  His  own  interpreter/  and 
sometime,  perhaps,  He  will  make  them  plain  to  us." 

"Well,  mother,"  said  Jessie,  "I  wish  He  would  make 
this  mystery  plain  to  me.  However,  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  to  go  to  the  'Mormon'  meeting  next  Sunday,  and  if  I 
get  an  opportunity  I  will  ask  the  preacher  to  explain  it." 

"But  your  father  may  object  to  you  going,  dear,"  said 
the  mother.  "Why  don't  you  ask  our  minister  to  explain  it?" 
"To  tell  you  the  truth,  mother,  I  don't  like  Mr.  Living- 
stone. I  do  not  believe  he  is  in  the  ministry  because  of  his 
love  for  the  work,  but  for  the  easy  life  and  the  good  salary. 
Why  did  he  leave  Blackmore?  He  said  he  had  received 
a  call  from  the  Lord.  I  don't  believe  it.  He  left  because 
we  offered  him  a  larger  salary.  Had  the  Lord  called  him 
to  go  to  a  smaller  parish,  with  a  smaller  salary,  I  don't 
believe  he  would  have  heard  Him.  I  shall  never  forget 
the  first  sermon  he  preached  in  our  church.  It  led  me  to 
believe  that  he  is  a  hireling.  He  told  us,  you  remember, 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  1 1 

about  the  two  committeemen  of  our  church  who  visited 
his  church  one  Sunday  morning.  He  did  not  know  who 
they  were,  nor  the  purpose  for  which  they  had  come.  Had 
he  known,  he  would  have  prepared  a  better  sermon.  When 
I  heard  that  I  said  to  myself,  'Yes,  and  if  some  other  church 
were  to  offer  you  a  larger  salary,  you  would  quickly  leave 
us,  too.'  I  believe  he  is  one  of  those  referred  to  by  the 
prophet  when  he  said,  'Their  preachers  preach  for  hire  and 
divine  for  money.'  ' 

"Jessie  -dear,"  said  her  mother,  "I  am  surprised  at  hear- 
ing you  talk  like  that.  Your  father  thinks  a  great  deal  of 
Mr.  Livingston.  I  heard  him  say  only  last  week  that  he 
is  one  of  the  best  ministers  we  have  ever  had." 

"Well,  mother,"  said  Jessie,  "to  me  his  words  are  as 
sounding  brass  and  a  tinkling  cymbal." 

Glancing  up  at  the  clock,  Jessie  saw  that  it  was  time 
for  her  to  repair  to  the  kitchen,  to  prepare  the  evening  meal, 
so  folding  the  tract  and  putting  it  in  the  pocket  of  her 
apron,  she  went  to  her  work,  still  wondering  what  the 
author  meant  by  parents  in  heaven. 

About  eight  o'clock  that  evening  a  tall,  handsome  young 
man  called  at  the  Drew  home.  He  was  Ernest  McDonald, 
the  son  of  a  prosperous  merchant  residing  in  D —  — .  He 
had  been  paying  his  attentions  to  Miss  Drew  for  two  years 
and  had  hinted  to  Jessie  a  short  time  before  that  ere  another 
year  had  passed  he  hoped  she  would  bear  his  name. 

Ernest  McDonald  was  Jessie's  first  and  only  sweetheart. 
She  had  met  him  at  a  church  sociable,  and  ever  since  that 
time  he  had  been  paying  tri-weekly  visits  to  Woodbine  Villa, 
as  the  Drew  home  was  called.  He  was  a  young  man  of 
good  character,  strictly  temperate,  and  a  non-smoker.  On 
reaching  his  majority  his  father  had  assigned  him  an  in- 
terest in  his  business,  and  young  McDonald  was  making 
good. 

As  Jessie  and  her  lover  sat  in  the  parlor  that  evening 
their  conversation  drifted  into  a  rather  serious  vein.  They 
had  been  talking  on  religious  subjects  for  a  short  time  when 
Jessfe  asked  Mr.  McDonald  if  he  had  ever  heard  of  the 
"Mormons." 


12  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

"All  that  I  ever  want  to  hear  of  them,"  was  the  rather 
curt  reply.  "They  are  an  American  sect,  founded  by  an 
impostor  named  Smith." 

"But  how  do  you  know  Smith  was  an  impostor, 
Ernest  ?"  Jessie  asked. 

"How  do  J  know?  Why,  I  have  read  volumes  written 
against  him." 

"Against  him,"  repeated  Jessie.  "And  what  have  you 
read  for  him?" 

"Nothing,  absolutely  nothing;  it  would  be  a  waste  of 
time." 

"That  seems  rather  unfair,  Ernest,"  said  Jessie.  "If 
charges  were  preferred  against  you  in  a  court  of  justice, 
what  would  you  think  of  the  judge  if,  when  your  lawyer 
arose  to  defend  you,  his  worship  should  say,  'I  don't  want 
to  hear  any  evidence  whatever  in  behalf  of  the  defendant; 
it  would  be  a  waste  of  time?" 

Young  McDonald  evaded  the  question  by  asking  Jessie 
if  she  would  like  to  read  a  history  of  the  "Mormons"  written 
by  one  of  their  number. 

She  said  she  would. 

"Meet  me  at  the  library,  Monday  afternoon,  at  4  o'clock, 
and  I  will  get  it  for  you.  Tom  Sexton  and  I  are  going  to 
London  Sunday,"  he  added,  "to  hear  two  celebrated 
preachers  from  America." 

"And  I,  too,  am  going  to  hear  some  preachers  from 
America,"  said  Jessie. 

"You  are?" 

"Yes." 

"Who  are  they?" 

"  'Mormon'  missionaries." 

"Good  heavens,  girl !  have  you  lo,st  your  reason  ?" 

"No,  Ernest,  it  is  you  who  has  lost  your  reason,"  she 
said,  jokingly;  "for  did  you  not  tell  me  a  few  moments  ago 
that  you  would  not  read  anything  written  in  defense  of 
the  'Mormons?'  ' 

"You  are  not  going  alone?" 

"Oh,  dear  no,  Norman  is  going  with  me." 

"But  why  are  you  going  to  the  'Mormon'  meeting?" 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  13 

"For  three  things— a  change;  to  see  and  hear  for    my 
.self;  and  to  try  to  get  a  mystery  solved." 

"Don't  you  think  Mr.  Livingstone  could  solve  your  mys- 
tery? It  isn't  customary  for  people  to  gather  grapes  from 
thorns,  or  figs  from  thistles." 

"And  especially  Scotch  thistles,"  said  Jessie  teasingly, 
for  the  McDonalds  were  Scotch. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  "MYSTERY"  SOLVED. 

Sunday  noon,  as  the  Drew  family  ,sat  at  lunch,  Jessie 
asked  her  ^  father  if  he  had  any  objection  to  her  going  to  the 
Mormon      meeting   that   evening,    in   company    with    her 
brother. 

"What  do  you  say,  mother?"  asked  Mr.  Drew  of  his 
wife. 

"I  can  see  no  harm  in  their  going  to  the  meeting,"  said 
Mrs.  Drew.  'I  understand  it  is  a  public  service.  We  have 
heard  a  great  many  evil  reports  about  the  'Mormons  '  but 
we  have  never  been  to  their  meetings  to  see  and  hear  for 
ourselves. 

So,  with  the  consent  of  their  parents,  Jessie  and  her 
brother  attended  the  "Mormon"  meeting. 

The  place  of  worship  was  a  room  over  a  grocery  store 

t  was  dimly  lighted,  and  the  seating  accommodations  were 

equally  poor.    The  congregation  numbered  thirty,  nearly  all 

of  whom  had  renounced  the  faith  of  their  fathers  and  had 

accepted  in  its  stead  the  faith  of  the  Latter-day  Saints 

Jessie  and  her  brother  sat  down  on  a  bench  in  the' rear 
of  the  hall.  She  contrasted  the  meeting  place  with  the 
splendid  church  in  which  she  had  been  christened  and  in 
which  she  had  worshiped  all  her  life.  She  compared  the  little 
poor  congregation  with  the  large  body  of  well-to-do  people 
who  met  in  Mr.  Livingstone's  church  twice  each  Sunday  and 
once  during  the  week.  And  as  these  thoughts  passed 
through  her  mind  she  was  reminded  that  the  groves  were 


14  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

God's  first  temples ;  that  the  hill-sides  and  the  corn  fields 
were  Christ's  synagogues,  the  rocks  and  a  boat  his  pulpits. 
And  the  words  of  the  Apostle  Paul  were  also  brought  to 
her  remembrance :  "For  ye  see  your  calling,  brethren,  how 
that  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble,  are  called.  But  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise;  and  God  hath 
chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things 
which  are  mighty ;  and  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things 
which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen,  yea,  and  things  which 
are  not,  to  bring  to  naught  things  that  are:  that  no  flesh 
should  glory  in  His  presence."  (1  Cor.  1 :26-29). 

Notwithstanding  the  humbleness  of  the  meeting-place, 
a  sweet,  peaceful,  heavenly  influence  pervaded  the  room 
and  rested  upon  the  congregation.  Jessie  felt  it  and  in  her 
heart  she  said,  as  did  Jacob  in  the  desert,  "Surely  God  is 
in  this  place." 

Elder  Harding  took  charge  of  the  service.  He  an- 
nounced the  opening  hymn,  "O  say  what  is  truth."  An  old 
man  was  called  out  of  the  congregation  to  offer  prayer. 
Another  hymn  was  sung,  the  announcing  of  which  caused 
Jessie's  heart  to  beat  fast.  It  was  the  inspired  composition 
of  Eliza  R.  Snow : 

O  my  Father,  Thou  that  dwellest 

In  the  high  and  glorious  place! 
When  shall  I  regain  Thy  presence, 

And  again  behold  Thy  face? 
In  Thy  holy  habitation 

Did  my  spirit  once  reside? 
In  my  first,  primeval  childhood, 

Was  I  nurtured  near  Thy  side? 

For  a  wise  and  glorious  purpose 

Thou  hast  placed  me  here  on  earth, 
And  v/ithheld  the  recollection 

Of  my  former  friends  and  birth; 
Yet  oft-times  a  secret  something 

Whispered,  You're  a  stranger  here; 
And  I   felt  that  I   had  wandered 

From  a  more  exalted  sphere. 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  15 

I  had  learned  to  call  Thee  Father, 

Through  Thy  Spirit  from  on  high; 
But,  until  the  Key  of  Knowledge 

Was  restored,  I  knew  not  why. 
In  the  heavens  are  parents  single? 

No;  the  thought  makes  reason  stare! 
Truth  is  reason;   truth  eternal 

Tells  me,  I've  a  mother  there. 

When  I  leave  this  frail  existence, 

(When  I  lay  this  mortal  by, 
Father,  mother,  may  I  meet  you 

In  your  royal  court  on  high? 
Then,   at  length,   when    I've   completed 

All  you  sent  me  forth  to  do, 
With  your  mutual  approbation 

Let   me   come  and   dwell   with   you. 

It  was  the  third  verse  of  this  hymn  which  had  perplexed 
Miss  Drew  all  the  past  week,  the  meaning  of  which  she  had 
come  to  the  meeting  that  evening  to  learn. 

Elder  Smth  was  requested  to  address  the  congregation. 
He  apologized  for  the  humble  quarters  in  which  they  had  to 
meet,  but  they  could  not  afford  better.  The  rent  of  the 
hall  was  borne  by  him  and  his  companion.  They  had  not 
only  to  support  themselves  in  the  mission  field,  but  had  also 
to  pay  for  the  literature  they  distributed  among  the  people. 
They  did  all  this  without  so  much  as  a  thought  of  compen- 
sation, save  the  approval  of  Him  who  had  called  them  into 
His  service. 

Here  was  another  contrast  for  Jessie — a  contrast  be- 
tween men  who  preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ  without 
money  and  without  price,  and  the  minister  of  her  church, 
who  deserted  a  little  flock  in  order  to  get  a  larger  salary. 

"And  now  I  feel  impressed,"  said  the  young  missionary, 
"to^  speak  to  you  upon  a  certain  doctrine  of  our  Church 
which  is  beautifully  set  forth  in  the  hymn  we  have  just 
sung.  I  refer  to  the  pre-existence  of  spirits." 

Miss  Drew's  eyes  were  riveted  on  the  speaker  and  her 
ears  were  open  to  his  every  word. 


16  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

'This  doctrine,"  continued  Elder  Smith,  "while  new  to 
the  people  of  this  generation,  is  as  old  as  the  earth  on  which 
we  stand.  It  was  clearly  understood  by  our  father  Abraham. 
On  one  occasion  the  Lord  gave  the  patriarch  a  glorious 
vision  in  which  He  showed  Abraham  all  the  spirits  that  were 
to  come  to  this  earth.  He  told  the  father  of  the  faithful 
that  he  was  one  of  them,  and  that  he  had  been  chosen  for 
his  earthly  mission  before  he  came  to  tabernacle  in  the 
flesh.  (Pearl  of  Great  Price.  Book  of  Abraham  3:22,  23.) 
While  this  is  not  recorded  in  the  Bible,  it  is  just  as  true  as 
if  it  were  in  that  book,  for  'truth  is  truth  where'er  'tis  found.' 
But  in  turning  to  the  Bible  we  find  the  doctrine  of  the  pre- 
existence  of  spirits  clearly  set  forth  there.  In  the  Book  of 
Job  there  is  a  very  brief  account  of  a  conversation  which 
the  Lord  had  with  Job,  during  which  the  Creator  asked  him 
this  question,  'Where  wast  thou  when  I  laid  the  foundations 
of  the  earth?  declare  if  thou  hast  understanding:  When 
the  morning  stars  ,sang. together,  and  all  the  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy?'  (Job  38:4,  7.)  The  intelligences  which 
were  shown  in  vision  to  Abraham  were,  no  doubt,  the 
spirits,  the  sons  and  daughters  of  God,  who  sang  together 
and  shouted  for  joy  when  they  saw  the  foundations  of  the 
earth  laid.  The  Bible  also  tells  us  of  individuals  who  were 
chosen  and  ordained  for  their  mission  before  coming  to 
earth.  Christ  was  one  of  these.  He  lived  with  His  Father 
in  heaven  before  th«  world  was  formed.  (John  17:5.)  Jere- 
miah was  chosen  and  ordained  a  prophet  unto  the  nations  be- 
fore his  birth  into  mortality.  (Jer.  1:5.)  The  disciples  of 
Christ  were  firm  believers  in  the  pre-existence  of  spirits,  as 
is  evidenced  by  the  question  which  they  put  to  the  Master 
concerning  a  man  who  had  been  blind  from  his  birth.  'Who 
did  sin,'  they  asked,  'this  man  or  his  parents,  that  he  was 
born  blind?'  (John  9:2.)  What  a  foolish  question  to  ask 
if  the  man  had  not  had  an  existence  in  a  pre-existent  state. 
And  the  answer  which  the  Lord  gave  shows  that  He,  too, 
believed  in  the  pre-existence  of  spirits,  for  He  told  the  dis- 
ciples that  neither  the  man  nor  his  parents  had  sinned,  but 
that  the  man  had  been  born  blind  that  the  glory  of  God 
might  be  made  manifest  in  him.  The  author  of  the  epistle 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  17 

to  the  Hebrews  believed  in  the  pre-exi.stence  of  spirits,  and, 
what  is  more,  he  declared  that  God  is  the  Father  of  the 
spirits  of  men.  This  is  what  he  wrote :  'Furthermore,  we 
have  had  fathers  of  mir  flesh  which  corrected  us,  and  we 
gave  them  reverence;  shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in  subjec- 
tion unto  the  Father  of  .spirits  and  live?'  (Heb.  12:9.)  And 
in  these  latter  days  we  have  received,  through  revelation 
from  on  high,  additional  light  on  this  matter,  and  that  is 
that  we  have  a  Mother  in  heaven,  as  well  as  a  Father,  the 
Mother  ,of  our  spirits.  That  is  why  we  sing: 

"'In  the  heavens  are  parents  single? 
No,  the  thought  makes  reason  stare; 
Truth  is  reason,  truth  eternal, 
Tells  me  I've  a  mother  there.' " 

Jessie  had  followed  the  speaker  with  the  strictest  at- 
tention, and  had  drunk  in  the  truth  that  fell  from  his  lips 
as  the  perishing  child  of  Hagar  drank  of  the  water  shown 
by  the  angel  to  his  despairing  mother.  And  as  the  service 
concluded  she  turned  to  her  brother  and  said,  "The  'mystery' 
has  been  solved." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  QUARREL. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  Elder  Harding  went  quickly 
to  the  rear  of  the  room  and  introduced  himself  to  the 
strangers — Norman  and  Jessie  Drew.  The  warm  handshake 
he  received  from  the  young  man  and  his  sister  assured  him 
they  were  not  opponents  of  "Mormonism." 

Taking  a  piece  of  silver  out  of  her  purse,  Jessie  ten- 
dered it  to  the  missionary,  saying,  "I  would  like  to  contribute 
a  little  toward  the  Lord's  work.  I  noticed,  however,  that 
you  did  not  take  up  an  offering,  as  is  the  custom  in  other 
churches." 

"No,"  answered  the  missionary,  "we  do  not  take  up  col- 
lections at  our  services." 


18  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

"Pray  tell  me,  then,  how  your  Church  is  supported." 
"According  to  the  plan  laid  down  in  the  Scriptures — by 
the  tithes  and  offerings  of  its  members." 

"So  your  Church  observes  the  ancient  law  of  tithing." 
"Yes,  we  observe  that  law,  but  not  because  it  was  prac- 
ticed in  the  days  of  Abraham  and  Moses,  and  the  prophets; 
and  by  the  people  in  the  time  of  Christ,  but  because  the 
Lord  revealed  it  anew  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  No 
member  of  the  Church,  however,  is  compelled  to  pay  tithes. 
Those  who  observe  this  law  do  so  of  their  own  free-will. 
The  Lord  has  promised  to  bless  those  who  obey  this  Divine 
command,  and  all  who  have  observed  it  faithfully  can  testify 
that  the  Lord  has  fulfilled  His  promise.  And  here  let  me 
add:  the  widow's  mite  is  just  as  acceptable  as  the  rich  man's 
thousands." 

"Then  please  accept  this  mite,"  said  Jessie,  forcing  the 
silver  piece  into  the  Elder's  hand.  "It  is  small  pay  for  the 
good  things  I  heard  this  evening." 

"Did  they  sound  good  to  you?" 

"They  certainly  did.  I  think,  Mr.  Harding,"  she  added, 
"that  it  is  possible  to  tell  the  truth  just  by  the  ring  of  it,  the 
same  as  you  can  tell  the  -difference  between  a  base  and  a 
genuine  coin." 

"I  think  so,  too,"  replied  the  missionary.  "Christ  said 
His  sheep  knew  His  voice,  and  they  followed  Him;  but  a 
stranger  they  would  not  follow,  for  they  knew  not  the  voice 
of  strangers.  These  words  of  the  Savior  were  brought  very 
forcibly  to  my  mind  one  afternoon  recently.  As  I  was  go- 
ing -down  town  I  saw  a  dog  that  had  strayed  from  his 
owner.  He  was  a  beautiful  little  animal.  Several  men  were 
trying  to  get  him  to  follow  them,  but  he  refused  to  do  so. 
At  last  he  heard  his  master's  voice.  He  recognized  it  im- 
mediately, and  bounding  out  of  the  crowd  he  ran  in  the 
direction  from  which  the  voice  came,  and  was  soon  jumping 
up  joyfully  and  licking  the  hand  of  his  owner." 

"Well,"  said  Jessie,  "I  feel  very  much  like  that  dog — I 
feel  as  if  I  were  lost.  The  preaching  of  our  minister  does 
not  appeal  to  me  at  all.  I  have  gone  to  other  churches  in 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  19 

the  hope  of  finding  peace  and  rest  for  my  soul,  but  they  are 
all  the  same." 

."Do  you  remember,  Miss  Drew,  who  it  was  that  said, 
'Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and 
I  will  give  you  rest?'  ' 

"Yes,  Christ  said  that." 

"Then,  why  don't  you  go  to  Him?  Why  don't  you  pray 
to  Him  to  guide  you  to  the  true  Church,  so  that  you  may 
get  the  rest  your  soul  so  earnestly  desires?  It  is  just  as 
easy  for  you  to  know  the  true  Church  today  as  it  was  for 
Peter  to  know  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ.  Peter  learned 
that  great  truth  by  revelation  from  God ;  you  can  learn  the 
truth  in  the  same  way." 

Just  then  Elder  Smith  came  up,  and  was  introduced  to 
Miss  Drew  and  her  brother. 

On  leaving  the  hall  Jessie  said,  "I  have  heard  a  great 
many  evil  reports  concerning  the  'Mormons,'  and  I  have 
wondered  if  your  people  are  really  as  black  as  they  are 
painted." 

"Well,"  said  Elder  Smith,  "you  will  pass  our  lodge  on 
your  way  home,  and  if  you  would  like  to  read  something 
concerning  the  character  of  the  'Mormons/  written,  not  by 
a  'Mormon,'  but -by  a  Gentile,  one  of  your  own  countrymen, 
Mr.  Phil  Robinson,  I  will  let  you  have  his  book,  'Saints  and 
Sinners.'  ' 

"Thank  you,"  said  the  young  woman.  "I  shall  be  pleased 
to  read  it." 

The  clock  in  the  church  tower  was  striking  two  the 
next  morning  when  Jessie  Drew  closed  the  volume  she  had 
received  from  Elder  Smith.  Then  she  knelt  by  her  bedside 
and  offered  up  one  of  the  most  fervent  prayers  she  had 
ever  uttered.  "O,  Lord,"  she  said,  "Thou  knowest  the 
thoughts  and  the  intents  of  the  hearts  of  all  men.  Thou  canst 
read  my  heart,  and  Thou  knowest  that  in  my  heart  I  desire 
to  know  the  truth,  for  I  love  the  truth.  Therefore,  O  Lord, 
show  me  the  truth,  and  guide  me  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness, for  Thy  name's  sake." 

Four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Jessie  Drew  and  Ernest 
McDonald  met  in  front  of  the  public  library  in  D. . 


20  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON/' 

On  entering  the  building,  Ernest  went  over  to  one  of  the 
shelves,  and  taking  down  a  book,  written  by  a  bitter  "Mor- 
mon" apostate,  he  handed  it  to  Jessie.  "I  want  you  to  read 
that  book,"  he  said,  "and  then  tell  me  what  you  think  of 
the  'Mormons.'  ' 

"I  will  do  so  on  one  condition,"  she  answered,  "and  that 
is  that  you  read  this  book" — handing*  him  'Saints  and  Sin- 
ners'— "and  then  tell  me  what  you  think  of  the  'Mormons.'  ' 

"No,"  he  said,  "I  won't  waste  my  time  on  such  people." 

"Well,"  said  Jessie,  rather  sharply,  "my  time  is  just 
as  precious  as  yours,  and  I  won't  waste  it  reading  the  volume 
you  recommend." 

Young  McDonald's  face  flushed  with  anger,  and  plac- 
ing the  book  back  on  the  shelf  he  turned  quickly  and  left  the 
building.  On  reaching  the  street  he  said  to  Jessie,  "You 
seem  quite  taken  up  with  this  new  religion,  if  I  may  call  it 
by  that  name." 

"I  am,"  she  answered  promptly.  "It  appeals  to  me  as 
nothing  else  has  ever  done.  I  heard  truths  last  night  I  had 
never  heard  before,  and  if  all  the  other  principles  of  'Mor- 
monism'  are  as  plain,  as  scriptural  and  reasonable  as  those 
I  heard  explained  at  the  meeting,  and  as  those  I  have  read 
in  the  tracts,  I  shall  accept  them  and  become  a  'Mormon.'  ' 

"Do  you  really  mean  what  you  say  ?  Have  you  counted 
the  cost  of  such  a  step?  Do  you  realize  that  such  a  course 
would  mean  our  separation  for  ever  ?" 

"No,"  replied  Jessie,  "I  hadn't  calculated  it  would  cost 
as  much  as  that ;  but  if  that  is  the  price  required,  I  suppose 
I  shall  have  to  pay  it ;  in  fact,  I  will  pay  it !" 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  you  would  .sacrifice  my  love  for 
'Mormonism?'  ' 

"I  say  this,"  was  her  answer,  "and  I  say  it  most  em- 
phatically, that  I  would  make  any  sacrifice  for  the  truth's 
sake.  I  thank  the  Lord  for  this  glorious  gift,  which  seems 
to  have  been  born  in  me — a  love  for  truth." 

"Well,"  replied  her  lover,  "the  faith  of  my  fathers  is 
good  enough  for  me." 

"Yes,"  said  Jessie,  "there  are  people  who  would  rather 
be  near  right  than  just  right.  There  are  things  in  the  world, 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  21 

Ernest,  that  glitter  like  gold,  but  they  are  not  gold.     You 
choose  as  you  please,  as  for  me  I  am  going  to  choose  the 
genuine,  for  only  the  genuine  will  survive." 
"Genuine  rot !"  he  snapped,  impatiently. 
"How  do  you  know  it  is  rot,  you  who  have  never  at- 
tended a  'Mormon'  service  or  read  a  page  of  'Mormon'  lit- 
erature?   Would  you  attempt  to  speak  of  any  other  subject 
as  you  do  of  'Mormonism' — without  having  given  it  a  mo- 
ment's study?    No,  you  would  not." 

"Damn  the  rascals !  I  hate  them !"  he  said,  biting  his 
lips  in  anger. 

"Yes,  I  see  you  -do.  But  do  you  remember  what  Christ 
said  to  His  disciples,  'Marvel  not  if  the  world  hate  you; 
you  know  it  hated  me  before  it  hated  you?" 

"So  you  compare  the  'Mormons'  to  the  -disciples  of 
Christ,  do  you?" 

"Those  I  have  seen  and  talked  with  bear  a  strong  re- 
semblance to  them." 

"We  won't  carry  on  this  discussion  any  longer  here," 
he  said.  "I  hope  you  may  discover  the  serious  mistake  you 
are  making  before  it  is  too  late.  Good  afternoon." 

He  raised  his  hat,  turned  and  walked  back  to  his  busi- 
ness. 

With  a  feeling  of  sadness  Jessie  -drove  home.  And  as 
she  rode  along  the  quiet  country  road  the  words  of  the 
Master  came  to  her,  "I  came  not  to  send  peace  on  earth, 
but  a  .sword."  The  little  quarrel  she  had  had  with  her  lover 
that  afternoon  marked  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  their 
courtship. 


CHAPTER  V. 
MRS.  THOMPSON'S  TESTIMONY. 

In  the  evening,  Ernest  McDonald  called  on  the  Rev. 
David  Livingston,  Jessie's  minister,  and  told  him  that  Miss 
Drew^was  fast  losing  hold  of  the  Presbyterian  faith. 

"Why,  Mr.  McDonald,  you  astonish  me,"  said  the 
clergyman.  "I  can  scarcely  believe  my  ears.  This  is  the 


22  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

first  intimation  I  have  had  of  such  a  thing.  Still,  I  remem- 
ber now  that  during  two  of  my  recent  visits  she  and  I  had 
lively  discussions  on  the  subject  of  baptism.  I  found  that 
she  leaned  more  to  the  Baptists'  idea  of  baptism  than  to 
the  teachings  of  her  own  church.  She  maintained  that  im- 
mersion is  the  only  proper  mode  ,of  baptism.  Is  she  think- 
ing of  joining  the  Baptist  church?" 

"No,  I  could  stand  that.  You  couldn't  guess,  so  I  will 
tell  you — the  'Mormons.'  ' 

"Bless  my  soul !"  exclaimed  the  minister.  "What  has 
taken  possession  of  the  girl?" 

"  'Mormonism,'  "  replied  young  McDonald.  "She  has 
been  studying  it  a  little  more  than  a  week,  and  she  is  so 
taken  up  with  it  that  I  believe  she  would  be  willing  to  go 
out  and  proclaim  it  on  the  streets." 

"I  don't  feel  like  taking  you  seriously,  Mr.  McDonald. 
Jessie  is  too  good,  too  sensible,  too  well-balanced  to  follow 
long  after  such  a  delusion  as  'Mormonism.'  However,  I 
shall  call  and  see  her  before  the  end  of  the  week." 

"I  sincerely  hope  you  may  be  able  to  convince  her  that 
she  is  making  a  serious  mistake." 

"There  is  no  doubt  of  that,  Mr.  McDonald.  Leave  the 
matter  to  me." 

From  the  rectory,  Ernest  McDonald  went  direct  to 
Woodbine  Villa.  He  told  Jessie  of  his  visit  to  Mr.  Living- 
ston, and  that  the  latter  had  promised  to  call  on  her  before 
the  week  end. 

"That  was  very  kind  of  you,"  .said  Jessie.  "How  would 
you  like  me  to  return  the  favor  by  asking  one  of  the  'Mor- 
mon' missionaries  to  call  on  you  ?" 

"No,  but,  provided  your  father  does  not  object,  you  can 
invite  one  of  them  to  meet  Mr.  Livingston  here  next  Fri- 
day evening." 

"Good  !"  exclaimed  Jessie.  "You  put  that  out  as  a  chal- 
lenge, and  I  accept  it.  Excuse  me,  while  I  find  out  what 
father  and  mother  have  to  say  concerning  the  matter." 

When  Jessie  told  her  parents  what  Ernest  had  proposed, 
they  smiled.  "Ernest  .seems  to  be  taking  you  quite  seriously/* 
said  her  father.  "I  don't  like  the  idea  of  inviting  a  'Mor- 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  23 

mon'  missionary  to  my  home,  but  inasmuch  as  Ernest  has 
requested  it,  I  give  my  consent.  The  'Mormon'  will  go 
back  a  sadder  but  wiser  fellow." 

'Thank  you,  father,"  said  Jessie.  "I  am  going  to  town 
Wednesday,  and  I  shall  deliver  the  invitation  to  one  of  the 
missionaries." 

Ernest  McDonald  went  home  very  much  relieved.  He 
felt  confident  that  Mr.  Livingston  would  have  no  difficulty 
whatever  in  confounding  the  "Mormon"  elder,  and  by  so 
doing  turn  Jessie  from  following  after  a  "strong  delusion." 

The  following  Wednesday  afternoon  Miss  Drew  cycled 
to  town,  and  after  attending  to  a  little  shopping,  she  went 
to  the  home  ,of  Mrs.  Thompson.  She  was  somewhat  disap- 
pointed at  not  finding  the  missionaries  there.  They  had 
gone  out  tracting  early  in  the  morning  and  had  not  returned. 
Mrs.  Thompson  invited  her  in,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Jessie 
was  telling  the  good  woman  some  of  the  experiences  she 
had  had  since  she  began  the  study  of  "Mormonism." 

"You  are  having  a  little  of  the  same  experience  I  had 
when  I  first  t£>ok  in  'Mormon'  missionaries  as  boarders.  Our 
minister  called  on  me  and  told  me  that  I  was  housing  a 
couple  of  moral  lepers.  I  listened  till  he  had  finished,  and 
then  I  said,  'If  there  were  a  case  of  leprosy  in  town  don't 
you  think  it  would  be  your  duty  to  report  it"  to  the  authori- 
ties? If  the  'Mormon'  missionaries  are  here  for  the  pur- 
pose you  say,  why  do  you  not  report  them  ?  Why  do  you  let 
them  carry  on  their  nefarious  work  without  taking  the  proper 
steps  to  .stop  them?  Isn't  there  a  law  in  England  against 
such  offenses?  Aren't  there  officers  to  put  the  law  into 
effect?  Why,  then,  do  you  sit  idly  by  and  let  the  'Mor- 
mons' do  such  wicked  things?  You  are  a  party  to  their 
evil  deeds.  But  I  prefer  to  believe,  Mr.  Banks/  I  said,  'that 
the  'Mormons'  are  not  the  wicked  people,  the  law-breakers, 
you  would  have  me  believe  they  are.  Were  they,  you  would 
have  had  them  arrested  and  punished  long  ago.  The  fact 
that  you  have  not  done  so  is  evidence  to  me  that  what  you 
have  told  me  about  them  is  not  true.'  Well,  he  left  in  a 
rage,  and  has  never  called  since.  I  have  kept  'Mormon' 
missionaries  in  my  home  for  three  years,  and  I  have  found 


24  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

them  to  be  gentlemen,  Christian  gentlemen,  in  every  sense 
of  the  term.  Had  I  found  them  otherwise,  they  would  have 
had  to  seek  new  quarters." 

''I  am  glad  to  hear  you  speak  in  that  way,"  ,said  Jessie. 
"You  have  had  opportunity  of  finding  out  what  manner  of 
men  'Mormon'  missionaries  are,  and  your  testimony  has 
encouraged  me." 

Just  then  the  door  opened  and  Elders  Smith  and  Hard- 
ing entered.  Jessie  greeted  them  with  a  warm  handshake, 
and  then  told  them  of  the  meeting  she  had  arranged  at  her 
home  the  following  Friday  evening. 

"I  hope,"  said  Elder  Smith,  "that  Mr.  Livingstone  will 
treat  us  better  than  we  were  treated  by  a  minister  today. 
A  clergyman  invited  us  into  his  home,  questioned  us  con- 
cerning our  belief  in  God,  and  when  we  told  him  that  we 
believe  in  the  God  of  the  Bible,  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  a  God  with  bodily  parts  and  spiritual  passions,  in 
whose  likeness  and  image  man  was  created,  he  flew  into 
a  rage,  and  said  he  felt  like  kicking  us  out  of  his  house. 
But  he  cooled  down  considerably  before  we  left.  We  lis- 
tened patiently  till  he  had  finished  his  tirade  of  abuse,  and 
then  Elder  Harding  took  him  in  hand.  'That  is  a  peculiar 
spirit  for  a  minister  of  Christ  to  manifest,'  said  my  com- 
panion. 'Just  because  we  have  a  different  idea  of  God  to 
what  you  have  you  say  you  feel  like  kicking  us  out  of  your 
house.  Now,  your  idea  of  God  and  the  idea  we  entertain  are 
just  as  opposite  as  the  poles,  but  we  don't  feel  like  kicking 
you.'  Well,  the  minister  began  to  feel  ashamed  of  himself. 
He  apologized,  said  he  hoped  we  would  forgive  him  for 
speaking  so  hastily,  and  then  talked  with  us  for  an  hour  and 
a  half  on  the  Godhead.  And,  what  do  you  think  ?  before  we 
left  he  said  he  believed  God  had  a  body,  which  He  took  upon 
Him  on  certain  occasions — when  He  came  down  to  talk  with 
Abraham,  Mo.ses,  and  other  of  the  prophets.  To  that  we 
replied —  that  the  only  difference  between  him  and  us  was 
that  he  believed  that  God  had  a  body,  some  times,  while  we 
believe  He  has  a  body  all  the  time.  We  left  him  some  of 
our  literature,  and  said  we  would  call  again." 

"That,"  said  Tessie,  "is  a  subject  that  has  puzzled  me. 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  25 

I  have  often  wondered  what  God  is  like.  Sometimes  I  have 
thought  that  He  is  a  Being  just  like  man,  and  then  I  would 
get  frightened  lest  I  had  entertained  a  sacrilegious  thought." 

"Such  a  thought  need  not  frighten  anyone."  said  El- 
der Smith.  "Christ,  we  are  told  in  the  Bible,  was  the  ex- 
press image  of  His  Father,  and  we  know  that  Christ  was  in 
every  respect  like  a  man,  except  that  He  was  without  sin. 
You  remember  what  He  said  to  Philip,  when  the  latter 
requested  Him  to  show  him  the  Father — 'He  that  hath 
seen  me,  hath  seen  the  Father.'  " 

"Yes,"  said  Jessie,  "it  is  plain.  How  is  it  that  more 
people  cannot  see  it?" 

"Because  they  have  no  desire  to  see  it ;  they  love  dark- 
ness rather  than  light." 

"It  would  seem  so." 

"It  is  so." 

"Good  afternoon,"  said  Jessie,  extending  her  hand  to 
the  missionaries.  We  will  meet  next  Friday  evening." 

Elder  Smith  assured  her  he  would  be  at  her  home  at 
the  appointed  time,  but  ,she  was  doomed  to  disappointment. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A    NEW   DEFENDER   OF   THE   FAITH. 

In  response  to  an  invitation  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drew, 
the  Rev.  David  Livingston  and  his  wife  came  to  Woodbine 
Villa  for  dinner  the  following  Friday.  Ernest  McDonald 
was  also  invited.  The  three  men  sat  chatting  for  an  hour 
in  the  parlor  before  going  in  to  dine.  The  topic  of  con- 
versation was,  of  course,  "Mormonism." 

"Why  are  they  called  'Mormons/  Mr.  Livingstone?" 
Mr.  Drew  asked. 

"I  believe  it  is  because  they  believe  in  a  book  called 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  I  have  never  read  the  volume,  but 
I  understand  it  is  a  sort  of  religious  novel,  written  by  a 
man  named  Solomon  Spaulding.  The  'Mormons,'  however, 
maintain  that  it  is  a  sacred  history  of  the  ancient  inhabit- 


26  THE  -MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

ants  of  America,  engraven  upon  gold  plates,  which  were 
hidden  in  the  earth  for  centuries,  and  were  brought  forth 
by  an  angel  and  given  to  Joseph  Smith,  who  by  some  mys- 
terious power  translated  them  into  the  English  language." 

"I  understand  they  have  great  reverence  for  the  book," 
said  young  McDonald. 

"They  have.  They  claim  that  it  is  as  much  the  word 
of  God  as  the  Bible." 

"I  would  suggest  that  you  make  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon the  subject  of  your  conversation  this  evening," 
said  Mr.  Drew.  "I  heard  Jessie  talking  to  her  mother  about 
the  book  this  afternoon.  She  spoke  as  if  she  believed  it  to 
be  the  word  of  Gad." 

"She  will* have  a  different  belief  tomorrow,"  said  her 
lover. 

After  dinner  all  returned  to  the  parlor,  to  await  the 
coming  of  Elder  Smith.  The  time  of  his  arrival  passed 
without  his  coming.  Jessie  began  to  show  signs  of  nervous- 
ness. 

"What  do  you  think  has  happened  to  your  friend?" 
asked  Ernest  McDonald,  looking  over  at  Jessie.  "Do  you 
think  he  has  changed  his  mind?" 

"Perhaps,"  answered  the  young  lady.  "I  wish  you 
would  change  yours,"  she  added  jokingly. 

"To  tell  you  the  truth,  Mr.  Drew,"  said  the  minister, 
"I  didn't  expect  him  to  come.  There  are  people  who  do 
not  care  to  come  to  the  light,  'lest  their  deeds  should  be 
reproved/  ' 

Jessie,  forgetting  for  the  moment  her  good  bringing 
up,  turned  to  Mr.  Livingstone,  and,  in  a  rather  sharp  tone, 
said,  "Yes,  and  there  are  some  people  who  forget  the  ad- 
monition of  Christ,  'Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged/  ' 

"Jessie,"  said  her  father,  "remember  whom  you  are 
addressing.  Mr.  Livingstone  is  our  guest." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  said  the  young 
lady.  "But  as  I  believe  Elder  Smith  to  be  a  good  man,  I 
could  not  refrain  from  speaking  a  word  in  his  defense." 

At  that  moment  the  bell  rang,  and  Jessie  hastened  to 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  27 

open  the  door,  expecting  to  admit  Elder  Smith.     She  was 
disappointed. 

It  was  a  telegram  for  Miss  Drew. 

Jessie  signed  the  receipt,  then  tore  open  the  envelope 
and  read  the  telegram: 

"Regret  having  to  inform  you  that  owing  to  illness, 
Elder  Smith  will  be  unable  to  meet  Mr.  Livingstone  at  your 
home  this  evening. — Richard  H.  Harding." 

Ernest  McDonald  began  to  laugh  when  Jessie  read 
the  telegram.  'The  very  thought  of  meeting  you,  Mr.  Liv- 
ingstone, made  him  sick,"  he  said.  "It  is  well  he  didn't 
come ;  the  actual  meeting  might  have  killed  him." 

"There  are  more  evenings  than  one,  Ernest,"  said  Jessie 
calmly.  "I  am  sure  Elder  Smith's  illness  was  not  caused 
through  fear  of  meeting  Mr.  Livingstone.  He  has  met 
clergymen  before.  He  had  a  very  interesting  time  with  one 
a  few  days  ago.  The  subject  they  discussed  was  the  God- 
head, and  I  believe  the  reverend  gentleman  learned  some- 
thing that  day  about  Deity  that  he  had  not  known  be- 
fore." 

"No  doubt,"  interposed  Mr.  Livingstone.  "I  am  sure  it 
was  new  doctrine  to  him  to  hear  that  the  great  God  of 
heaven  and  earth  is  a  personal  Being,  and  that  He  has  a 
body  of  flesh  and  bones." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  said  Jessie's 
father,  "that  the  'Mormons'  believe  and  teach  such  doctrine 
as  that?" 

"Indeed  I  do,  Mr.  Drew.  They  teach  that  as  man  is 
now,  God  once  was,  and  that  as  God  is,  man  may  become." 

''Rank  blasphemy !"  exclaimed  young  McDonald. 

"The  proper  name  for  it,"  said  the  minister. 

"I  don't  consider  it  blasphemy,"  said  Jessie. 

"What!"  exclaimed  her  father.  "You  don't  mean  to 
tell  us  that  you  believe  such  abominable  doctrine?" 

"I  do." 

"Who  taught  it  to  you?" 

"The  "Reverend  Mr.  Livingstone,  our  minister." 


28  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

"Absurd.  Why,  I  never  entertained  such  a  thought!" 
returned  the  minister,  excitedly. 

"Well,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  said  Jessie,  "if  I  didn't  hear 
you  preach  that  doctrine  in  your  sermon  last  Christmas 
morning  my  ears  deceived  me.  Do  you  not  remember,  sir, 
tracing  the  life  of  Christ  from  His  birth  in  the  stable  to  the 
time  He  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  His  Father  in 
heaven?  That  was  one  of  the  best  sermons  I  ever  heard 
you  preach.  I  relished  it.  How  vividly,  how  eloquently  you 
portrayed  the  life  of  the  Son  of  God.  Born  of  an  earthly 
mother,  nursed  and  tenderly  cared  for  by  her,  He  grew  up 
to  be  a  child.  He  was  a  child  with  the  children ;  He  played 
with  them  in  their  little  games.  As  a  boy,  He  was  like 
other  boys,  only  sweeter,  purer,  holier,  more  studious.  As 
a  youth,  He  was  a  wonder,  astonishing  the  learned  doctors 
in  the  temple.  As  a  man,  He  was  the  greatest  Teacher 
the  world  ever  saw.  He  taught  as  no  other  man  taught. 
He  lived  a  grander  life  than  any  man  had  ever  lived.  He 
possessed  power  that  no  mortal  ever  possessed — the  power 
to  lay  down  His  life  and  to  take  it  up  again.  This  He  did, 
proving  to  all  generations  to  come  that  He  was  what  He 
professed  to  be — the  resurrection  and  the  life,  and  that  He 
had  conquered  death.  And  then,  when  His  earthly  mission 
was  finished,  He  ascended  up  on  high  and  sat  down  at  the 
right  hand  of  God.  Now,  what  would  you  have  thought 
of  me,  Mr.  Livingstone,  if  at  the  close  of  your  discourse  I 
had  approached  you  and  said,  'Rank  blasphemy!  You 
would  have  me  believe  that  One  who  was  once  a  babe,  then 
a  child,  then  a  youth,  then  a  man,  is  now  a  God,  yea  very 
God  of  very  God,  as  you  .styled  Him.  I  say  such  doctrine, 
is  'rank  blasphemy.'  What  would  you  have  thought  of  me, 
Mr.  Livingstone,  if  I  had  done  that?" 

The  eyes  of  all  in  the  room  were  riveted  on  the  min- 
ister, but  he  did  not  answer.  He  looked  confounded. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  Jessie  has  scored,"  said  her 
brother,  good-naturedly,  "The  'Mormon'  faith  has  found  a 
new  defender." 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  29 

CHAPTER  VII. 

AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR. 

Elder  Smith's  illness  was  not  caused  through  fear  of 
meeting  the  Reverend  Mr.  Livingstone,  but  by  a  letter  which 
he  had  received  a  couple  of  hours  before  his  intended  visit 
to  Woodbine  Villa.  The  letter  was  from  his  mother,  and 
bore  the  ,sad  news  that  Lenabella  Graham,  the  young  lady 
with  whom  he  had  kept  company  for  a  year  prior  to  his 
leaving  home,  and  with  whom  he  had  corresponded  regu- 
larly since  his  arrival  in  England  had  died  very  suddenly. 

As  Elder  Smith  read  the  letter  he  turned  deathly  pale, 
and  when  he  had  finished  he  buried  his  head  in  his  hands 
upon  the  table  and  wept  bitterly. 

"Some  one  ill  at  home?"  enquired  Elder  Harding. 
^For  an  answer  Elder  Smith  handed  him  the  letter. 
"That's  a  hard  blow,  Elder  Smith,"  said  his  companion. 
But  you^  and  I  have  been  taught  to  acknowledge  the  hand 
of  God  in  all  things,  and  I  believe  the  day  will  come  when 
you  will  acknowledge  His  hand  in  this  seeming  calamity." 
For  two  hours  Elder  Harding  sat  beside  his  compan- 
ion, doing  all  in  his  power  to  heal  the  terrible  wound  the 
sad  news  had  made  in  his  heart.     And  while  the  humble 
servant  of  the  Lord  was  groaning  in  anguish  of  spirit,  the 
"Reverend"  Mr.   Livingstone  and  Ernest  McDonald  were 
making  fun  of  him  and  charging  him  with  cowardice. 

At  the  close  of  the  Sunday  service,  Mr.  Livinstone  an- 
nounced^  that  he  would  deliver  a  special  lecture  on  "Mor- 
monism"  the  following  Wednesday  evening,  and  invited  all 
present  to  attend.  The  news  spread  quickly,  and  the  even- 
ing of  the  lecture  the  Presbyterian  church  was  crowded  to 
its  capacity,  many  members  of  other  churches  being  pres- 
ent. 

The  lecturer  assured  his  audience  that  he  would  have 
no  difficulty  in  proving  to  them  that  Joseph  Smith,  the 
founder  of  "Mormonism,"  was  an  impostor.  John  the 
Revelator  had  done  that  already.  Opening  his  Bible,  he 
read  from  the  last  chapter  of  Revelation,  as  follows:  "For  I 


30  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the  proph- 
ecy of  this  book,  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things, 
God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this 
book."  "Nothing  more  is  needed,  my  good  people,  to  prove 
that  Smith's  claims  to  Divine  revelation  are  spurious.  We 
have  the  word  of  God  that  there  was  to  be  no  more  script- 
ure, or  revelation,  after  the  Book  of  Revelation  was  fin- 
ished." 

The  remainder  of  the  time  he  spent  in  heaping  abuse 
upon  Joseph  Smith  and  the  Latter-day  Saints  in  general. 

At  the  close  of  the  lecture  a  young  man  arose  and  re- 
quested permission  to  ask  the  lecturer  a  question.  All 
turned  to  look  at  the  speaker. 

"Why,  mother!"  exclaimed  Jessie  Drew,  "it  is  Elder 
Smith  who  is  talking." 

Mr.  Sexton,  the  chairman  of  the  meeting,  accorded  the 
stranger  the  privilege  of  asking  questions. 

"Did  I  understand  the  lecturer  to  ,say  there  had  been 
no  revelation  since  the  day  the  Apostle  John  finished  the 
Book  of  Revelation?" 

"That  is  correct,"  replied  the  minister,  rising  to  his 
feet. 

"Why,  I  have  been  told  that  after  John  had  written  the 
Book  of  Revelation  he  wrote  the  epistle  which  bears  his 
name.  Is  that  correct?" 

Mr.  Livingstone  coughed  and  looked  confused.  "I — T — 
believe  that  is  correct,"  he  stammered. 

"That  being  the  case,  your  argument  is  robbed  of  all 
its  force.  Have  you  forgotten  that  in  the  Book  of  Deuter- 
onomy there  are  words  similar  to  those  you  read  in  the 
Book  of  Revelation.  (Deut.  4:2.)  While  no  man  has  a 
right  to  add  to  the  word  of  God,  who  shall  say  that  the 
Almighty  must  not  add  to  His  own  words?  I  hold  that  no 
one  has  a  right  to  seal  the  lips  of  Deity.  I  challenge  Mr. 
Livingstone  to  cite  a  single  passage  of  Scripture  to  prove 
that  God  would  not  give  revelations  to  His  children  in  the 
latter  days.  There  is  no  such  thing  on  record.  But,  on 
the  contrary,  the  Scriptures  are  replete  with  promises  of 
latter-day  revelation." 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  31 

"The   gentleman    will   please    sit   down,"   shouted   the 
chairman. 

Elder  Smith  resumed  his  seat. 

There  was  quite  a  little  excitement  in  the  congrega- 
tion. A  tall,  well-dressed  man  arose  and  asked  the  chairman 
if  he  could  have  the  privilege  of  saying  a  few  words.  He 
was  told  that  he  could  have  five  minutes.  The  gentleman 
.was  Mr.  Hacket,  a  highly  respected  t member  of  the  com- 
munity, and  a  Unitarian. 

"I  must  say,"  he  began,  "that  I  have  been  greatly 
disappointed  this  evening.  I  came  to  the  meeting  with  the 
expectation  of  seeing  'Mormonism'  completely  overthrown. 
Mr.  Livingstone  assured  us  he  would  have  no  difficulty  in 
proving  that  Joseph  Smith  was  an  impostor,  and  that  his 
claims  to  Divine  revelations  were  spurious.  He  tried  to  do 
this  by  a  quotation  from  the  Book  of  Revelation,  but  sig- 
nally failed.  The  young  man  who  was  told  rather  abruptly 
to  .sit  down,  and  who  I  am  informed  is  a  'Mormon'  mission- 
ary, showed  that  Mr.  Livingstone  was  mistaken  in  that 
matter,  and  if  mistaken  in  that  matter,  he  may  be 
mistaken  in  other  things.  I  am  not  in  sympathy 
with  the  'Mormons,'  neither  am  I  so  blinded  by 
prejudice  that  I  cannot  see  their  good  qualities.  Not  once 
during  his  entire  lecture  did  Mr.  Livingstone  mention  one 
good  quality  possessed  by  these  people.  It  seems  to  me 
that  he  outshot  his  mark.  Let  us  not  be  hasty  in  our  judg- 
ment. We  have  heard  only  one  side  of  the  story ;  personally, 
I  would  like  to  hear  the  other  side,  and  I  now  move,  Mr. 
Chairman,  that  another  meeting  be  held  here  next  Wednes- 
day evening,  and  that  the  time  be  given  to  a  representative 
of  the  'Mormon'  Church/' 

"Second  the  motion,"  said  at  least  a  half  dozen  peo- 
ple. 

The  chairman  appealed  to  Mr.  Livingstone,  who  arose 
and  said :  "I  strongly  object  to  any  such  proceeding.  While 
I  am  in  charge  of  this  church  no  'Mormon'  missionary  shall 
occupy  this  pulpit.  Should  any  of  these  men  come  into  this 
community,  I  advise  you  to  shut  your  doors  in  their  faces 
and  burn  their  tracts." 


32  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

"Just  a  word,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  said  Mr.  Proctor,  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  "I  do  not  think  there  is 
any  cause  for  alarm.  I  have  lived  in  this  community  over 
twenty-five  years.  I  am  pretty  well  acquainted  with  the 
people,  and  I  believe  they  rank  with  the  average  in  intelli- 
gence. I  am  quite  satisfied  that  they  know  the  difference  be- 
tween truth  and  error,  between  right  and  wrong.  I  think  it  is 
a  reflection  on  our  intelligence  to  be  told  to  treat  the  'Mor- 
mon' missionaries  in  the  way  you  have  recommended.  I  am 
not  afraid  to  read  the  'Mormon'  tracts.  If  the  'Mormons' 
have  any. truth  we  have  not  got,  we  should  be  willing  to 
accept  it.  If  we  are  misinformed  respecting  them,  we 
should  be  willing  to  be  set  right.  I,  also,  would  like  to  hear 
the  'Mormon'  side." 

"I  shall  not  alter  my  decision,"  said  the  minister,  angrily. 

Mr.  Racket  arose  again,  and  on  receiving  the  recogni- 
tion of  the  chairman,  said,  "I  shall  arrange  for  a  public 
meeting  to  be  held  in  the  Temperance  Hall  next  Wednesday 
evening,  when  we  will  get  the  'Mormon'  point  of  view." 

"Hear,  hear!"  shouted  a  number  of  those  present,  and 
the  congregation  began  to  disperse. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Jessie  and  her  brother  made  their  way  to  the  side  of 
Elder  Smith.  They  shook  him  warmly  by  the  hand  and 
praised  him  for  his  courage  in  coming  and  "bearding  the 
lion  in  his  den."  Just  then  Mr.  Hacket  and  Mr.  Proctor 
came  up  and  were  introduced  to  the  missionary.  Elder 
Smith  thanked  them  for  their  kind  assistance,  and  assured 
them  he  would  be  on  hand  to  -defend  his  faith  and  people 
the  following  Wednesday  evening. 

As  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drew  and  Mr.  Livingstone  came 
down  the  isle  they  were  stopped  by  Jessie  and  introduced 
to  Elder  Smith.  The  latter  was  about  to  speak  to  Mr.  Liv- 
ingstone concerning  certain  false  accusations  he  had  made, 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  33 

I 

when  the  minister  stopped  him,  saying,  "I  haven't  time  to 
talk  to  you  now ;  I  am  going  to  the  vestry  to  attend  prayers." 
As  he  passed  on,  Jessie  said,  "If  any  man  ought  to  pray, 
that  man  is  Mr.  Livingstone." 

"Yes,"  added  Elder  Smith,  "and  if  men  would  pray 
concerning  'Mormonism/  instead  of  fighting  it,  they  would 
learn  the  truth  of  it." 

The  following  Sunday  evening  Jessie  and  her  brother 
attended  the  meeting  of  the  Saints.  There  were  four  visitors 
from  Utah,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  and  their  two  daughters. 
They  had  formerly  lived  in  England,  but  had  embraced  the 
"Mormon"  faith  and  had  immigrated  to  Utah  twenty-five 
years  before.  They  were  invited  to  speak.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Walker  thanked  the  Lord  for  the  day  "Mormon"  Elders  had 
come  to  their  home  with  the  glad  tidings  of  great  joy — the 
restoration  of  the  everlasting  Gospel.  They  thanked  Him 
for  giving  them  courage  to  accept  and  stand  up  for  the  truth, 
and  for  preparing  the  way  for  them  to  go  up  to  the  land  of 
Zion.  They  were  so  perfectly  satisfied  with  Utah  and  the 
people  there  that  they  could  not  be  induced  to  stay  in  their 
native  land.  They  were  acquainted  with  hundreds  of  Eng- 
lish people  in  Utah,  every  one  of  whom  felt  just  as  happy  as 
they.  They  had  come  back  to  England  at  their  own  expense, 
principally  to  try  to  correct  some  of  the  false  impressions 
that  their  relatives  and  friends  entertained  respecting  the 
"Mormons." 

Jessie  and  her  brother  listened  very  attentively  to  the 
testimonies  of  these  English  converts,  ajid  at  the  close  of  the 
service  they  had  a  lengthy  conversation  with  them.  They 
found  the  Misses  Walker  very  intelligent  and  refined  young 
ladies.  They  told  Jessie  and  her  brother  about  social  life 
in  Utah,  and  of  the  great  privileges  and  advantages  the 
young  people  enjoyed  there.  They  assured  the  Drews  that 
if  they  ever  came  to  Salt  Lake  City  they  would  find  a  cordial 
welcome  at  their  home. 

Jessie  then  engaged  in  a  brief  conversation  with  Elder 
Smith,  during  which  he  told  her  the  reason  why  he  had  not 
been  able  to  meet  Mr.  Livingstone  at  her  home.  As  he 
related  his  troubles,  tears  of  pity  glistened  in  her  eyes,  and 


34  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

when  he  had  finished,  she  placed  her  hand  gently  on  his 
arm,  and  looking  up  into  his  handsome,  manly  face,  said, 
"You  have  my  sincere  sympathy." 

A  large,  interested  audience  greeted  Elder  Smith  when 
he  ,stood  up  in  the  Temperance  Hall  to  reply  to  the  Rever- 
end Mr.  Livingstone.  He  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Hacket. 
Mr.  Livingstone  and  three  other  ministers  occupied  front 
seats.  The  young  missionary  proceeded  at  once,  in  a  calm, 
yet  forceful  manner  to  refute  the  assertion  made  by  Mr. 
Livingstone,  namely,  that  Solomon  Spaulding  was  the 
author  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  He  reminded  those  who 
had  attended  Mr.  Livingstone's  lecture  that  the  reverend 
gentleman  had  not  told  them  who  Solomon  Spaulding  was. 
He,  Elder  Smith,  would  tell  them.  Solomon  Spaulding  was 
a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College,  and  at  one  time  a  Presby- 
terian minister.  He  could  imagine  nothing  more  absurd 
than  this — that  a  Presbyterian  had  written  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  a  book  which  from  beginning  to  end  is  opposed 
to  almost  everything  savoring  of  Presbyterianism.  "With 
just  as  much  reason  could  I  declare,"  continued  Elder  Smith, 
"that  Mr.  Livingstone  is  the  author  of  'The  Mistakes  of 
Moses.'  No,  my  friends,  Solomon  Spaulding  never  wrote 
the  Book  of  Mormon." 

The  young  missionary  then  proceeded  to  show  that  the 
coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  in  fulfilment  of 
prophecies  made  by  the  ancient  prophets.  The  Psalmist 
David  prophesied  that  truth  would  spring  out  of  the  earth 
and  that  righteousness  would  come  down  from  heaven. 
(Psalms  85:11.)  Isaiah  prophesied  that  a  branch  of  the 
house  ,of  Israel  would  be  brought  down  and  would  speak 
out  of  the  ground.  (Isa.  29:4.)  The  Prophet  Ezekiel  .spoke 
of  two  sticks,  or  records,  the  stick  of  Judah  .and  the  stick 
of  Ephraim,  and  that  these  two  sticks  would  be  joined  to- 
gether and  become  one  in  the  hands  of  the  people.  (Ezek.  37: 
15-19.)  Isaiah  prophesied  of  a  sealed  book  that  was  to  come 
forth.  (Isa.  29:11-14.)  Christ  told  His  disciples  that  He 
had  other  sheep  besides  the  flock  at  Jerusalem,  and  that 
they  would  also  hear  His  voice.  (John  10:14-16.)  John 
the  Revelator  prophesied  that  in  the  last  days  the  everlasting 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  35 

Gospel  would  be  restored  to  earth  by  an  angel.  (Rev.  14:6, 
7.)  In  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  all  these 
prophecies  had  had  a  literal  fulfillment. 

Elder  Smith  then  read  the  testimonies  of  the  three  wit- 
nesses, also  of  the  eight  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  declared  that  there  are  tens  of  thousands  of  living  wit- 
nesses who  bear  testimony  that  it  has  been  revealed  to  them, 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  a 
Divine  record.  He  bore  a  powerful  testimony  to  the  Divine 
authenticity  of  the  Book. 

"I  will  here  tell  you,"  he  added,  "of  a  conversation 
which  I  had  a  short  time  ago  with  a  .son  of  Martin  Harris, 
one  of  the  three  witnesses  whose  testimony  I  read  to  you  a 
few  moments  ago.  I  told  Mr.  Harris  I  had  heard  that  before 
his  father  closed  his  eyes  in  death  he  bore  a  strong  and  im- 
pressive testimony  to  his  children  of  the  truth  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  I  asked  Mr.  Harris  if  such  were  the  case  and 
he  promptly  answered  in  the  affirmative.  He  told  me  that 
shortly  before  his  father's  death  members  of  the  family  ap- 
pealed to  him  to  tell  them  if  his  testimony  in  regard  to  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  which  appears  in  the  front  of  the  vol- 
ume, were  true.  'His  words/  said  Mr.  Harris,  were  these : 
'I  testify  to  you,  my  children,  that  I  saw  the  plates  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon ;  that  I  saw  the  angel  who  delivered  the 
plates  to  Joseph  Smith,  and  that  I  heard  the  voice  of  God 
declare  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  had  been  translated  cor- 
rectly and  that  it  is  a  true  record.' 

"Now,  my  friends,"  continued  the  young  missionary, 
"no  one  can  make  me  believe  that  Martin  Harris  had  be- 
come so  low,  so  debased  and  so  mean,  that  when  his  children 
appealed  to  him  for  a  testimony  of  the  truth,  and  that,  too, 
.shortly  before  his  death,  he  would  bequeath  to  them  as  a 
dying  legacy  a  diabolical  falsehood,  and  that  he  would  pre- 
pare^ to  meet  his  God  with  a  wicked  lie  upon  his  lips. 

[  have  read  the  Book  of  Mormon  through  several 
times,"  said^Elder  Smith,  "and  am  familiar  with  its  con- 
tents. It  is,  indeed,  what  has  been  claimed  for  it,  a  new  wit- 
ness for  God.  It$  testifies,  from  cover  to  cover,  to  the 
existence  of  God,  in  whose  image  man  in  the  beginning  was 


36  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

created  It  also  testifies  concerning  the  fall  of  man  and  of 
the  infinite  atonement  made  bv  Jesus  Christ.  It  proclaims 
Jesus  Christ  as  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  the  only  begotten 
of  the  Father,  according  to  the  flesh ;  that  He  is  the  Savior 
of  the  world,  and  that  no  man  can  be  saved  except  by  Him. 
It  teaches  in  plainness  and  simplicity  the  .same  gospel  that 
was  taught  by  Christ  and  His  Apostles,  and  has  evidence, 
the  most  incontrovertible,  concerning  the  resurrection  of  the 
•dead.  I  defy  any  one  to  point  to  a  single  thing  in  the  Book 
of  Mormon  that  is  not  in  harmony  with  the  teaching  of  the 
Savior  and  His  apostles.  The  mission  of  the  book  is  to 
teach  men  to  believe  in  God,  in  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  in  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  to  repent  of  their  sins ;  to  obey  all  the  com- 
mandments of  God ;  and  to  live  lives  that  will  daily  meet 
with  His  approval  and  that  in  the  end  will  secure  them 
eternal  life  in  His  kingdom.  Yet  this  is  the  book  that  has 
been  ridiculed  and  rejected  by  the  world  at  laree,  and  which 
Mr.  Livingstone  has  endeavored  to  make  you  believe  is  an 
imposture. 

"I  now  desire,"  said  he,  "to  speak  briefly  upon  another 
subject."  Mr.  Livingstone  read  a  letter  -written  by  a  man 
who  had  ioined  the  Church  in  this  country,  and  who,  after 
living  a  few  years  in  Utah,  had  returned  to  his  native  land. 
The  writer  had  nothing  good  to  say  about  Utah  or  its 
people.  Here  he  would  also  remind  them  that  one  swal- 
low does  not  make  a  summer.  This  he  would  agree  to  do — 
for  everv  letter  that  Mr.  Livingstone  would  produce  sim- 
ilar to  the  one  he  had  read,  he,  Elder  Smith,  would  under- 
take to  produce  a  dozen,  and  these  from  people  who  had  em- 
braced "Mormonism"  in  England,  and  who  were  at  that 
time  living  happily  in  their  own  homes  in  Utah.  These 
people  would  testify  that  they  were  thoroughly  satisfied  with 
"Mormonism,"  and  with  the  "Mormon"  people. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  a  number  of  questions  were 
asked,  and  answered  with  apparent  satisfaction. 

Jessie  Drew's  face  wore  a  triumphant  smile.  She  went 
up  to  Elder  Smith,  and  offering  him  her  hand,  said,  "I  felt 
proud  of  you  the  evening  you  confronted  Mr.  Livingstone 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  37 

in  his  church ;  I  feel  ten  times  more  proud  of  you  tonight." 

The  defense  made  by  Elder  Smith  had  by  no  means  a 
soothing  effect  upon  Ernest  McDonald.  He  left  the  Tem- 
perance Hall  terribly  wrought  up  in  his  feelings.  He  accom- 
panied the  Drews  home  and  stayed  till  a  late  hour  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  induce  Jessie  to  have  nothing  more  to  do 
With  the  "Mormons."  All  his  efforts  were  in  vain. 

"You  might  as  well  try  to  make  me  believe  that  light 
is  darkness  as  that  'Mormonism'  is  an  imposture.  Every 
principle  of  faith  and  practice  taught  by  the  'Mormon' 
Church  is  substantiated  by  the  Bible.  I  have  taken  the 
'Mormon'  Articles  of  Faith,  one  by  one,  and  compared  them 
with  the  Scriptures,  and  have  found  the  most  perfect  har- 
mony between  them.  I  believe  in  'Mormonism'  because  I 
believe  in  the  ancient  prophets,  in  Christ,  and  in  the  apostles. 
The  reason  you  do  not  believe  in  'Mormonism'  is  because 
you  do  not  believe  the  prophets,  Christ  or  the  apostles.  You 
profess  with  your  lips  to  believe  in  them,  but  in  your  heart 
you  deny  them.  You  have  threatened  me  several  times, 
Ernest.  ^Yoti  have  given  me  to  understand  that  if  I  did  not 
give  up  'Mormonism'  you  would  give  me  up.  I  am  going 
to  save  you  from  that  unpleasant  piece  of  work,  by  telling 
you  that,  seeing  the  bitterness  there  is  in  your  heart  to- 
wards the  truth,  and  the  stand  you  have  taken  against  it, 
and  against  those  who  believe  in  it,  I  this  night,  here,  now', 
sever  the  ties  of  love  which  have  bound  us  together  for  over 
two  years.  You  go  your  way  and  I  will  go  mine." 

Picking  up  his  hat  and  walking-stick,  he  went  over  to 
her,  and  looking  down  into  her  pale,  agitated  face,  he  said, 
"Do  you  mean  what  you  say?" 

"I  do." 

"That  is  your  final  decision?" 

"It  is." 

He  extended  his  hand.  She  took  it.  "Then,  good-night 
and  good-bye." 

Out  into  the  still,  cool  night  he  went,  and  out  of  Jessie 
Drew's  life  forever. 


38  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

CHAPTER  IX. 

AN  OUTCAST. 

Jessie  slept  very  little  that  night,  and  when  she  came 
down  stairs  in  the  morning  her  countenance  wore  a  sad  ex- 
pression. Her  mother,  perceiving  that  something  was 
wrong,  asked,  "How  did  you  and  Ernest  sret  on  last  even- 
ing?" 

"We  didn't  get  on,  mother,  we  got  off." 

"Did  you  quarrel?" 

"Worse  than  that,  we  quit." 

"You  quit!  You  don't  mean  that  you  have  suffered 
'Mormonism'  to  separate  you  and  Ernest  McDonald?" 

"That's  just  what  it  has  done,  and  that's  what  Christ 
said  His  Gospel  would  do.  'Think  not,'  said  He,  'that  I  am 
come  to  send  peace  on  earth ;  I  came  not  to  send  peace,  but 
a  sword.  For  I  am  come  to  set  a  man  at  Variance  against  his 
father,  and  the  daughter  against  her  mother,  and  the 
daughter-in-law  against  her  mother-in-law.  And  a  man's 
foes  shall  be  they  of  his  own  household.'  (Matt.  10:34-36.) 
I  realize  that  this  will  mean  much  suffering  to  me,  but  it  is 
better  that  it  should  happen  now  than  later,  after  I  had 
married  Ernest  McDonald  and  had  borne  him  children. 
Don't  you  see  that  my  condition  then  would  be  ten  times 
worse  than  it  is  now  ?" 

"How  are  you  going  to  break  the  news  to  your  father?" 

"I  am  not  going  to  break  it  to  him ;  I  am  going  to  let 
him  find  out  himself." 

Just  then  Mr.  Drew  and  Norman  came  in  to  breakfast. 

"That  was  a  pretty  good  reply  the  young  missionary 
made  last  night,"  said  Norman,  when  all  were  seated  at  the 
table. 

There  was  no  answer. 

"How  did  Ernest  take  it,  Jessie  ?"  he  asked. 

"In  much  the  same  spirit  as  the  people  received  the 
preaching  of  Stephen." 

"It  made  him  angry?" 

"Very.  That's  the  way  the  truth  affects  some  people." 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  39 

"I'll  have  some  fun  out  of  him  the  next  time  he  calls. 
I'll  tell  him  that  you  are  thinking  of  joining-  the  'Mormon' 
Church." 

"If  you  do,  you'll  tell  him  the  truth." 

"What  did  you  say?"  asked  her  father  sharply. 

"I  said  that  if  Norman  tells  Ernest  that  I  am  thinking 
of  becoming  a  member  of  the  'Mormon'  Church  he  will  tell 
him  the  truth." 

"You  tell  Ernest  McDonald  that,"  said  her  father,  "and 
see  what  will  happen." 

"I  have  told  him." 

"You  have!" 

"Yes." 

"And—" 

"It  has  happened." 

"What  has  happened?" 

"What  you  thought — we've  parted." 

"Now,  look  here,  Jessie,"  said  her  father,  rising  to  his 
feet,  "I  have  put  up  with  this  nonsense  just  as  long  as  I  am 
going  to.  I  don't  want  to  hear  any  more  about  'Mormon- 
ism.'  Don't  let  it  be  mentioned  again  in  this  house.  You 
have  gone  just  as  far  as  I  am  going  to  let  you  go,  and  now 
I  call  a  halt." 

"I  have  gone  too  far,  father,"  said  Jessie,  "to  turn 
back." 

"You  will  do  one  of  two  things — you  will  either  give 
up  'Monnonism'  or  seek  a  new  home." 

"I  have  heard  of  a  number  of  converts  to  'Mormonism' 
who  had  that  alternative  given  them." 

"You  have  heard  my  decision,  you  can  reach  yours  be- 
tween now  and  next  Saturday." 

"I  can  give  you  my  decision,  now,  father,"  she  an- 
swered firmly.  "Dearly  as  I  love  my  home,  dearly  as  I  love 
you  all,  I  will  suffer  myself  to  be  driven  forth  as  an  outcast 
rather  than  abandon  .that  which  I  know  to  be  true.  I  am  not 
a  child,  father,  and  I  don't  want  you  to  treat  me  as  a  child. 
I  want  you  to  look  upon  me  as  a  woman,  aye,  more  than 
that,  as  an  immortal  soul,  sent  to  this  earth  to  exercise  the 
free  agency  which  God  has  given  me,  to  learn  by  my  own 


40  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

experience  the  good  from  the  evil,  to  seek  to  know  the  will 
of  God  and  to  do  it,  and  to  work  out  my  own  salvation." 

"I  don't  want  to  hear  any  more  of  your  preaching; 
you  will  renounce  'Mormonism'  or  you  will  leave  this 
house." 

She  arose  and  stood  before  her  father.  Her  face  was 
pale,  and  her  voice  trembled  with  emotion.  "I  feel,"  she 
said,  "that  I  could  stand  up  before  the  whole  world  and 
testify  that  'Mormonism'  is  true,  but  how  weak  I  feel  in 
attempting  to  bear  that  testimony  to  my  own  flesh  and 
blood.  How  hard  it  is  for  me,  father,  to  declare  to  you 
that  I  believe  with  all  my  heart  and  soul  that  Joseph  Smith 
is  a  Prophet  of  God  and  that  'Mormonism'  is  the  true  gos- 
pel of  Christ." 

Mr.  Drew  turned  to  his  wife.  "We  have  been  married, 
Martha,"  he  said,  "nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  this 
is  the  first  unhappy  day  we  have  had  in  all  that  time." 

Mrs.  Drew  nodded,  and  wiped  the  tears  from  her 
cheeks. 

Mr.  Drew  went  up  stairs,  and  putting  on  his  Sunday 
clothes,  started  for  the  rectory,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Liv- 
ingstone. 

After  listening  to  Mr.  Drew's  account  .of  what  had 
taken  place  at  the  breakfast  table,  the  minister  shook  his 
head  and  said,  "Jessie  is  a  very  strong-minded  girl,  and 
once  convinced  that  she  i.s  right,  I  don't  believe  that  any- 
thing on  earth,  not  even  the  stake,  would  turn  her.  I  don't 
believe  your  threat  to  turn  her  out  of  home  will  change 
her  in  the  least  and  really  I  don't  think  that  that  is  the 
proper  course  to  take.  Let  us  labor  with  her,  reason  with 
her,  and  see  what  can  be  accomplished  by  this  means." 

"I  am  willing  to  abide  by  your  counsel,  Mr.  Living- 
stone," said  the  father,  "but  if  she  persists,  she  .shall  not 
remain  under  my  roof." 

That  evening  Mr.  Livingstone,  accompanied  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Frazer,  a  minister  of  the  English  church,  called 
on  Jessie.  They  discussed  "Mormonism"  with  her  for  al- 
most four  hours,  but  utterly  failed  to  move  her. 

"I   have   studied   and   weighed   the   matter   over   very 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  41 

carefully,"  she  said,  "and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
I  have  nothing  to  lose  but  everything  to  gain  by  becom- 
ing a  'Mormon.''  Let  me  ask  you,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  she 
continued,  "what  have  I  lost  by  believing  that  Joseph  Smith 
saw  God  the  Father  and  His  Son  Jesus  Christ?  Has  that 
belief  destroyed  my  faith  in  these  great  Beings?  By  no 
means;  but  on  the  contrary  it  has  increased  my  faith  in 
them.  Because  I  believe  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  has  that 
destroyed  my  faith  in  the  Bible  ?  No,  it  has  not ;  rather  has 
it  strengthened .  my  faith  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  Be- 
cause I  -believe  that  John  the  Baptist  appeared  to  Joseph 
Smith  and  Oliver  Cowrdery  and  gave  them  authority  to 
preach  repentance  and  water  baptism,  has  that  destroyed 
my  faith  in  these  things?  No,  it  has  not.  I  believe  that 
Peter,  James  and  John  visited  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  and  gave  them  authority  to  lay  on  hands  for  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Of  what  has  that  belief  robbed 
me?  Nothing,  absolutely  nothing.  I  might  go  on,  but  that 
is  enough.  Now,  you  ought  to  see,  sir,  that  by  believing 
these  things  I  lose  nothing,  no,  not  even  if  they  be  false. 
But  if  they  be  true,  what  then?  Why,  I  shall  gain  a  great 
deal  by  believing  and  accepting  them." 

"You  say  you  have  nothing  to  lose  by  accepting  'Mor- 
monism,'  m  said  Mr.  Livingstone.  "You  would  lose  your 
membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church." 

"Yes,  but  that  would  in  no  wise  affect  my  salvation,  for 
neither  of  you  gentlemen  believe  that  membership  in  a 
church  is  essential  to  salvation." 

"My  dear  young  woman,"  said  the  Episcopal  minister, 
"you  are  making  a  serious  mistake." 

"Quite  a  number  have  told  me  that,"  said  Jessie,  "but 
none  of  them  have  been  able  to  point  out  the  mistake." 

Mr.  Drew  followed  the  ministers  out  of  the  house.  "I 
sincerely  hope,"  he  said,  "that  you  succeeded  in  convincing 
her  that  she  is  wrong." 

"No,"  replied  Mr.  Livingstone,  "I  am  sorry  to  sav 
that  our  visit  was  a  failure.  She's  immovable." 

"Then  I  shall  try  my  way,"  said  the  father. 

He  carried  out  his  threat.     The   following  Saturday 


42  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

» 

night  there  was  a  vacant  room  in  the  Drew  home.     Jessie 
was  an  outcast. 


CHAPTER  X. 
''THE  DAWNING  OF  A  BRIGHTER  DAY." 

Jessie  spent  the  Saturday  night  in  a  hotel  in 
That  "was  a  night  never  to  be  forgotten.  She  felt  very 
keenly  the  los,s  she  had  sustained,  the  loss  of  a  lover,  a 
soon-to-be  husband,  the  loss  of  a  home  with  all  its  comforts. 
And  as  she  meditated  upon  these  things  she  was  reminded 
that  her  Lord  and  Savior  suffered  a  thousand  times  more. 
"He  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men;"  He  was  cast  out 
of  their  synagogues;  He  did  not  have  a  place  to  lay  His 
head.  Was  the  servant  greater  than  the  Master?  The 
oracle  of  heaven  had  never  been  repealed,  "Through  tribu- 
lation ye  must  enter  in." 

The  clock  was  striking  four  Sunday  morning  when  she 
began  to  disrohe,  to  seek  a  little  rest  in  .sleep. 

At  nine  o'clock  she  arose  and  partook  of  a  light  break- 
fast. Then  she  went  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Thompson,  where 
she  received  consolation  from  that  kind  motherly  woman  and 
also  from  the  missionaries. 

Elder  Smith  insisted  on  going  out  to  see  her  father,  and 
to  this  she  finally  consented.  Mr.  Drew  received  him  very 
coldly.  The  young  missionary  did  all  in  his  power  to  get 
Jessie's  father  to  reconsider  his  action.  "If  you  don't  want 
your  daughter  to  go  with  the  'Mormons'  "  he  said,  "why 
don't  you  keep  her  at  home  ?  By  turning  her  out  you  force 
her  to  seek  the  association  of  the  very  people  you  want  her 
to  avoid." 

"Why  are  you  so  interested  in  her?  Are  you  afraid  of 
•this  getting  into  the  newspapers?  Are  you  afraid  of  it  mak- 
ing trouble  for  you?" 

"That  is  just  what  I  am  afraid  of,  Mr.  Drew,"  replied 
Elder  Smith.  "I  am  afraid  of  what  has  happened  in  your 
home  getting  into  the  newspapers,  for  I  know  that  if  it 
does,  it  will  get  in  wrong.  How  would  it  appear  in  the  news- 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  43 

papers?  That  you  had  turned  your  daughter  out  of  her 
home  ?  No ;  but  that  'Mormon'  missionaries  had  broken  up 
a  happy  home  by  taking  away  from  it  the  only  daughter 
in  the  family." 

But  Elder  Smith's  pleading  was  in  vain.  He  brought 
back  to  Jessie  the  sad  news  that  her  father  was  unrelenting. 

That  evening  Jessie  met  her  brother  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Saints.  At  the  clp.se  of  the  service  they  took  a  long 
walk  together.  He  g;ave  her  a  sum  of  money,  comforted  her 
with  the  assurance  that  he  would  always  defend  and  be- 
friend her,  and  that  he  would  use  his  influence  with  their 
father  to  have  her  come  back. 

A  few  days  later,  through  an  advertisement  in  one  of 
the  daily  papers,  Jessie  obtained  a  position  as  lady's  maid 
in  London.  But  before  entering  upon  her  duties  she  was 
baptized  and  confirmed  a  member  of  the  Church. 

Six  months  passed,  and  her  father  remained  obdurate. 
Jessie  corresponded  with  her  mother  every  week,  and  twice 
the  good,  loving  parent  had  come  to  the  English  capital  to 
see  her  daughter.  During  this  time  Jessie  had  attended  the 
meetings  of  the  Saints  as  often  as  she  could.  She  received 
much  encouragement  from  the  mission  paper,  the  Millennial 
Star,  and  also  from  letters  which  she  received  occasionally 
from  Elders  Smith  and  Harding. 

One  evening  the  door  bell  rang,  and  a  moment  later  a 
servant  admitted  a  gentleman  who  was  desirous  of  seeing 
Miss  Drew. 

The  visitor  was  Elder  Smith,  who  had  called  to  see 
Jessie  before  leaving  for  home.  Jessie  was  delighted  to 
see  him,  for  he  had  brought  to  her  the  pearl  of  great  price, 
the  go.spel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

They  spent  two  hours  together,  going  over  the  experi- 
ences of  the  past  nine  months. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  parting,  Elder  Smith  said, 
"Two  years  last  Saturday,  Sister  Drew,  I  landed  on  Eng- 
land'? shores.  I  have  tried,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Lord, 
to  be  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  me.  I  have  tried  to  fill  an 
honorable  mission,  that  I  might  return  home  with  the  bless- 
ing of  the  Lord  and  of  His  servants  upon  my  head.  My 


44  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

sole  desire  has  been  to  bring  people  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  the  power  of  God  unto  sal- 
vation. I  know  that  the  Lord  has  blessed  my  labors,  for 
I  have  seen  the  fruits  of  them.  I  have  in  my  pocket  an 
honorable  release,  signed  by  the  president  of  the  mission, 
which  I  prize  very  highly." 

He  arose  and  went  over  to  where  Jessie  was  sitting. 
Looking  down  into  her  sweet  face,  he  said,  "I  have  taught 
you  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  have  rejoiced  with  you 
in  your  rejoicing  because  of  the  blessings  which  the  gospel 
has  brought  to  you ;  I  have  sympathized  with  you  in  your 
sorrow  and  tried  to  comfort  you  in  your  distress.  I  admire 
you  for  the  stand  you  have  taken  and  the  sacrifices  you  have 
made  for  your  adopted  faith.  Good-bye,  and  God  bless 
you." 

Tears  glistened  in  her  eyes  and  her  voice  trembled  as 
she  placed  her  hand  in  his,  and  said,  "God  be  with  you  till 
we  meet  again." 


CHAPTER  XL 

A  REUNION. 

On  the  15th  of  the  following  August  Jessie  Drew  told 
her  mistress  that  it  was  her  intention  to  go  to  America,  and 
that  ,she  would  leave  her  service  one  month  from  that  date. 
Both  the  lady  and  her  husband  had  treated  Jessie  very 
kindly.  She  had  been  with  them  less  than  two  weeks  when 
one  afternoon  they  found  her  reading  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
It  was  then  that  they  learned  her  religious  belief.  They 
listened  with  interest  to  her  experience,  and  when  she  had 
finished,  the  gentleman  said,  ''Well,  Miss  Drew,  you  are  the 
judge  of  this  matter.  You  say  you  have  found  in  the  'Mor- 
mon' Church  joy,  happiness  and  .satisfaction  you  sought 
for  in  vain  in  other  churches.  The  testimony  of  your  own 
heart  is  a  pretty  good  testimony.  We  sincerely  hope  that 
you  will  not  be  disappointed  in  the  place  to  which  you  are 
going  or  with  the  people  with  whom  you  have  decided  to 
cast  your  lot." 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  45 

"And  I  wish  to  say,  Jessie,"  said  her  mistress,  "that 
should  you  feel  dissatisfied,  and  wish  to  return  to  England, 
just  let  us  know  and  we  will  at  once  send  you  money  to 
bring  you  back." 

Jessie  thanked  them  for  their  kindness,  and  promised 
to  'write  and  tell  them  the  truth  about  Utah  and  the  "Mor- 
mons." 

The  day  before  sailing,  Jessie  went  back  for  the  last 
time  to  dear,  old  Woodbine  Villa.  She  had  told  her  parents 
some  time  before  that  she  was  going  to  leave  ,soon  for  the 
gathering  place  of  the  Saints.  Her  father  and  mother  had 
talked  over  the  matter  for  hours,  and  as  the  time  of  part- 
ing with  his  daughter,  perhaps  forever,  drew  near,  Mr. 
Drew  began  to  experience  a  change  of  heart. 

All  the  sorrow  that  had  come  to  Jessie  was  forgotten 
when,  on  entering  her  home,  her  father-  took  her  in  his  arms 
and  kissed  her  as  affectionately  as  he  had  ever  done  before 
My  dear  girl,"  he  said,  "I  am  glad  you  have  come.  Ever 
since  I  heard  that  you  had  decided  to  go  to  America  I  have 
been  reproaching  myself  for  the  way  I  have  treated  you, 
fearing  that  I  had  driven  you  to  take  this  step." 

"Well,  father  dear,"  said  Jessie,  "you  need  not  reproach 
yourself  any  longer,  for  had  I  been  permitted  to  stay  at 
home,  and  not  encountered  any  opposition,  I  would  do  what 
I  am  Agoing  to  do  just  the  same." 

"Well,  come  in  and  sit  down,  dear,  while  I  go  and  find 
your  mother  and  Norman;  they  are 'out  in  the  garden." 

That  evening,  for  the  first  time  in  many  months,  a 
united  family  sat  down  to  .dinner  in  the  Drew  home.  While 
no  reference  was  made  to  the  affair,  they  all  thought  of  the 
regretable  scene  at  the  breakfast  table  when  Mr.  Drew,  in 
a  fit  of  anger,  gave  his  daughter  her  choice  between  her 
home  and  "Mormonism." 

"I  don't  see  why  you  want  to  leave  -us  and  go  to  that  • 
far-off  land,   among  a   strange   people,"   said   her    father. 
Can't  you  worship  God  just  as  well  in  one  place  as  in 
another?" 

"That    is   what   a   number   of   the   children    of    Israel 


46  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

thought  one  time,"  was  her  reply.  'The  Lord  had  com- 
manded His  people  to  gather  to  Jerusalem,  where  He  had 
put  His  name,  and  to  worship  Him  there.  But  many  of 
them  were  led  to  believe  that  they  could  worship  Him  just 
as  well  in  Bethel  as  they  could  in  Jerusalem.  So 
they  assembled  at  Bethel  and  there  they  offered  sac- 
rifices; but  the  Lord  did  not  accept  of  their  sacri- 
fices nor  their  worship,  but  sent  a  prophet  to  proclaim 
against  them.  One  of  the  features  of  the  great  latter-day 
work,  father,  is  the  gathering  of  Israel,  concerning  which 
there  are  many  prophecies  in  the  scriptures.  Isaiah  proph- 
esied: 'And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  that  the 
mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  be  established  in  the  top 
of  the  mountains,  and  .shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills ;  and 
all  nations  shall  flow  unto  it.  And  many  people  shall  go 
and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  House  of  the  God  of  Jacob ;  and  He  will  teach 
us  of  His  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  His  paths ;  for  out  of 
Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from 
Jerusalem.'  (Isa.  2:2-3.)  And  the  Lord  .speaking  through 
Jeremiah  said,  'I  will  take  you  one  of  a  city,  and  two  of  a 
family,  and  I  will  bring  you  to  Zion ;  and  I  will  give  you 
pastors  according  to  mine  heart,  which  shall  feed  you  with 
knowledge  and  understanding!'  (Jer.  3:14-15.)  These  and 
many  similar  prophecies  are  being  fulfilled  by  the  Latter- 
day  Saints,  and  they  are  the  only  people  who  are  fulfilling 
them." 

At  this  point  Jessie's  brother  spoke.  "Father,"  said  he, 
"I  have  known  for  some  time  that  Jessie  had  made  up  her 
mind  to  go  to  Utah,  and  now  I  want  to  tell  you  what  I 
have  decided  to  do — to  go  with  her.  I  have  worked  pretty 
hard  for  the  past  five  years,  and  I  feel  that  a  short  vacation 
would  do  me  good.  If  Utah  is  anything  like  the  place  it 
has  been  pictured  to  us,  I  promise  to  bring  Jessie  back." 

"And  I  promise  to  come  back,"  said  Jessie. 

Mr.  Drew  looked  at  his  wife.  "While  I  would  dislike 
very  much  to  lose  Norman,  too,"  ,she  said,  "yet  for  Jessie's 
sake  I  would  be  willing  to  let  him  go.  I  think  his  proposi- 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  47 

i 

tion  is  a  good  one.  We  can  rest  assured  that  our  own  chil- 
dren won't  deceive  us." 

So  it  was  finally  decided  that  Norman  should  accom- 
pany his  sister  to  Utah. 

On  the  first  day  of  October  the  train  bearing-  the  immi- 
grants pulled  into  Salt  Lake  City.  Among  those  gathered 
at  the  depot  to  meet  relatives  and  f  riend,s  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Walker  and  their  two  daughters,  whom  Jessie  and  her 
brother  had  met  in  England,  and  with  whom  they  had  cor- 
responded regularly  since  their  return.  They  accorded  Nor- 
man and  his  sister  a  hearty  welcome  and  took  them  to  their 
home.  The  following  day  they  showed  them  the  city,  and  in 
the  evening  of  the  third  day  took  them  to  the  reunion  of  the 
London  Elders  and  Saints. 

A  thrill  of  joy  ran  through  Jessie's  heart  when  the  large 
assembly  arose  and  ,sang : 

"O  ye  mountains  high,  where  the  clear  blue  sky 

Arches   over  the  vales  of  the   free, 
Where  the  pure  breezes  blow,  and  the  clear  streamlets  flow, 

How  I've  longed  to  your  bosom  to  flee." 

When  the  song  was  ended,  a  young  man  arose  to  offer 
the  invocation.  Jessie  Drew  uttered  a  faint  exclamation  and 
trembled  slightly.  The  young  man  was  Elder  Smith. 

At  the  close  of  the  program,  and  before  refreshments 
were  served,  there  was  a  general  handshaking. 

"Why,  bless  my  soul !"  said  Elder  Smith  to  a  returned 
missionary,  "there  is  Jessie  and  Norman  Drew." 

The  next  instant  he  was  shaking  them  warmly  by  the 
hand,  and  expressing  his  surprise  and  delight  at  seeing 
them. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
'LIFE  BEYOND  THE  SHADOWS." 


Of  all  the  people  assembled  in  the  hall  that  evening  none 
were  more  happy  than  Jessie  Drew  and  Harold  Smith 
When  parting  for  the  night,  Harold  said,  "Jessie,  this  has 
been  a  reunion  in  very  deed.  I  thank  God  for  it." 


48  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

Looking  up  into  his  sweet,  happy  face,  she  whispered, 
"So  do  I." 

At  the  close  of  the  conference,  Jessie  and  her  brothei 
accompanied  Elder  Smith  home,  where  they  were  treated 
as  if  they  were  members  of  the  family.  They  attended  the 
religious  and  social  gatherings  of  the  Saints,  and  were  de- 
lighted with  the  .splendid  brotherly  and  sisterly  spirit  they 
found  among  the  people. 

Norman  paid  frequent  visits  to  Salt  Lake  City,  each 
time  staying  at  the  home  of  the  Walkers.  He  spent  a  very 
enjoyable  Christmas  with  the  family.  He  was  somewhat 
partial  with  his  Christmas  presents,  giving  the  choicest  and 
mo,st  costly  to  Miss  Genevieve.  The  reader  can,  no  doubt, 
guess  the  reason. 

The  letters  Norman  and  his  sister  sent  home  gave  the 
lie  to  the  vile  stories  their  parents  had  heard  about  Utah 
and  the  "Mormons."  "I  don't  believe,"  wrote  Norman, 
"there  is  a  better  people  or  a  finer  country  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  There  are  hundreds  of  Gentiles,  members  of  differ- 
ent churches,  living  and  rearing  families  here  in  the  midst 
of  the  'Mormons,'  and  you  can  believe  that  very  few,  if  any, 
of  them  would  be  here  if  the  'Mormons'  were  the  wicked 
and  corrupt  characters  their  enemies  represent  them  to 
be." 

The  following  letter  conveyed  the  information  that 
Norman  had  been  baptized  and  confirmed  a  member  of  the 
Church.  He  urged  his  parents  to  dispose  of  their  property 
and  come  to  Utah,  as  he  had  no  desire  to  return  to  Eng- 
land. 

Mr.  Drew  was  reading  the  letter  to  his  wife  when  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Livingstone  called. 

"We  have  just  heard  from  Norman,"  said  the  good 
woman. 

"I  sincerely  hope  that  he  and  his  sister  are  well." 

"They  are  enjoying  excellent  health,"  said  Mr.  Drew. 

"Has  Norman  told  you  when  he  expects  to  return?" 

"He  says  he  is  not  coming  back.  He  is  so  taken  up 
with  the  country  and  the  people  that  he  has  decided  to  re- 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON."  49 

main  there.  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion,  Mr.  Living- 
stone," added  Mr.  Drew,  "that  the  'Mormon'  people  have 
been  grossly  misrepresented.  I  have  abundant  evidence 
that  such  is  the  case.  My  own  children  are  my  witnesses. 
It  is  easy  for  me  to  believe  them,  for  I  know  they  speak 
the  truth.  Norman  advises  us  to  sell  our  property  and  go 
to  Utah,  and  I  believe  we  will  do  so.  We  have  enough 
saved  to  keep  us  comfortably  the  rest  of  our  lives,  and  I 
feel  that  the  proper  place  for  us  is  with  the  children  God 
has  given  us,  and  in  whose  likeness  we  will  live  after  we  are 
dead." 

"I  am  very  much  surprised,  Mr.  Drew,"  said  the  min- 
ister, "at  the  way  things  have  turned  out.  I  agree  with  you 
that  your  children  would  not  deceive  you.  Perhaps  I,  too, 
have  misjudged  the  'Mormons.'  I  shall  be  more  careful  in 
the  future." 

Just  previous  to  the  opening  of  the  April  Conference 
there  was  a  double  wedding  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Jessie  Drew 
was  united  in  the  bonds  of  the  new  and  everlasting  cove- 
nant with  Harold  G.  Smith,  and  Genevieve  Walker  with 
Norman  Drew. 

Among  those  who  sat  down  to  the  wedding  banquet 
were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drew,  who  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  a  few 
days  before  the  wedding. 

They  settled  in  S ,  where  Harold  and  Norman  en- 
gaged in  farming,  and  the  blessings  of  the  Lord  attended 
their  labors. 

It  was  a  pleasing  sight  to  see  Jessie  with  her  first-born 
in  her  arms,  watching  for  her  husband  at  the  close  of  day. 
And  as  he  came  down  the  lane,  driving  the  cows  from 
pasture,  she  was  on  hand  to  meet  him  and  let  down  the 
bars,  for  which  he  always  repaid  her  with  a  loving  kiss. 
She  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and  then,  her  earthly  mission 
finished,  she  entered  into  the  rest  prepared  for  the  people 
of  God. 

Her  husband  survived  her  seven  years.  He  took  delight 
in  telling  his  children  and  grandchildren  the  story  I  have 
tried  to  tell  the  reader.  A  few  days  before  he  passed  away, 


50  THE  MAKING  OF  A  "MORMON." 

he  lifted  up  his  eyes  toward  heaven,  and  smiled  sweetly  as 

he  repeated  this  little  verse: 

\ 

"When  I  bring  my  flock  of  years, 
Gilded  hopes  and  faded  tears, 

To  the  city  in  the  stars, 
I  shall  see  my  darling  wait: 
I  shall  see  her  at  the  gate — 

Jessie,  letting  down  the  bars." 


